Call me Maggie
by Dixie990
Summary: Rule number one, stay detached, it's how you stay alive on Omega. Its not perfect... but its my home. Then 'he' waltzes along like he owns the place and screws everything up... including rule number one. Damn Archangel... Garrus X Human OC - M for sex, violence and language. NOW WITH EDITING!
1. Chapter 1

Call me Maggie.

**AN: Honestly I wasn****'****t 100% satisfied with the quality of writing for my original fanfic ****'****Maggie****'**** so I have essentially rewritten it, but from Maggie****'****s point of view. You don****'****t have to have read Maggie to enjoy this newest version, but you might find it interesting to do so. For those who haven****'****t read ****'****Maggie****'**** this follows the story of Garrus****'****s time on Omega with an OC insertion to allow for a human / turian pairing with our favourite turian. ^^**

**As usual with my fanfics, this will contain violence, sex and swearing. **

**And a BIG thank you to Spyke1985 for being beta and fixing my ****AWFUL grammar and spelling issues. :) My work has never looked so good. ^^ **

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They say one mans garbage is another mans treasure. Nothing could be more true when it came to Omega and me. Most of the galaxy sees Omega as something to forget about, to sweep under the carpet so to speak. Well that suits me fine. Most see Omega as a place of oppression, or darkness and danger. For me, Omega is freedom. Beautiful, blessed freedom.

The place I came from doesn't bear thinking about. In fact, I avoid thinking about it as best I can. I like to live in the now. The kinda scars I've got, it's the only way to stay sane. Or… well, sane-ish.

Bottom line, Omega was my haven. I flourished there. I had all the right skills to be useful, to find a place among the bloodthirsty and the stupid. I used everything I had; my wit, my intellect, and of course, my body. I reveled in the challenge, enjoyed and basked in the power my abilities gave me. People didn't know me by face, I was too careful for that kind of cock up, but I had a reputation. I became the little information broker of Omega. I knew everything, all the dirty little secrets, all the juicy gossip; just from being in the right ventilation shafts, or fucking the right idiots.

So I had a place, a place I liked, a place I understood and enjoyed… then Archangel came along. Fucking idiot.

At first I thought he was just like all the other do gooders that came to Omega. I gave him a week to live, sure that someone would blow his handsome head off just for saying the wrong thing. I certainly didn't expect our lives to become to entwined. I certainly didn't expect to give a shit about him.

So where did it go wrong? Why did I get myself involved with someone I knew was trouble? Well what can I say? I'm a sucker for trouble.

It was late into the night cycle and the drinking was in full swing when one of his lackey's approached me. A turian with lavender markings offered to buy me a drink. His name was Sidonis and I knew he worked for archangel, though that information was not widely known. Like I said… I knew the comings and goings of Omega; it's what made me so popular with the local Merc bosses. I had an unhealthy obsession with standing in the middle of that triangle and passing everyone's secrets to their enemies, just to get a kick out of watching them blow each other up.

The funniest thing was they never even knew it was me. You can imagine my shock then when the turian, who had for a while been making flirtatious small talk, suddenly asked me if he could get information from me. No one was supposed to know my face. I took a leaf out of the shadow brokers book and used a different identity to pass my information along.

I took it calmly though; I laughed with him, got him to buy me another drink, persuaded him to meet me out back. It didn't take much convincing. He didn't strike me as particularly smart.

He arrived through the back door and I grabbed him by the front of his cowl, slamming him against the filthy, piss smelling wall and putting a knife to his delicate throat. "Who sent you?" I spat, keeping my tones in a gravely low growl that I knew turians associated with serious threatening.

He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "No one!" He protested.

I dug the blade deeper into his skin, enough to draw a trickle of blue blood. "What do you know about me?"

"Only that you're in with the blue suns…" He insisted. "That you and their batarian leader got something going on. The bartender told me last night that you weren't adverse to um… spilling a few secrets, you know… for credits."

I lowered the knife an inch. "Tarak? You want information on him?" Tarak was the Merc boss I was more openly associated with. It wasn't much of a secret that I knew him pretty… intimately.

Sidonis nodded. "Yeah… the bartender…"

"Alright zip it. You've made your point." I let go of the front of his cowl and he visibly relaxed a little. I surveyed him through narrowed eyes. "What sort of information?"

He rolled out his shoulders a little, rearranging his simple armour. "He's running some slaving shipments through Omega… I was hoping you might have some details."

I folded my arms over my chest and glared at him. "So Archangel can interfere right?"

He played dumb, not that it took much acting. "I don't know what you mean…" He tried.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh please. I know who you work with. That turian got here a couple of weeks ago and started shouting his mouth off. He's a magnet for trouble and other optimistic fools like you."

It was Sidonis's turn to survey me through narrowed eyes. "How do you know so much about Archangel?" He asked.

I smiled. "I have my resources." Honestly it had been a matter of pure chance. I'd literally bumped into him the day he arrived on Omega, he'd been so polite and kind I knew he didn't belong. When he'd said he was going to be sticking around, I made it my business to keep tabs on him. Not because he was handsome or anything, I just figured that much of an idiot would likely stumble over some interesting things sooner or later. Turns out I was right as that idiot turian became the legendary archangel. I knew more about him than any of his gang would have liked I was sure.

I have to admit though. For an idiot, he was doing alright. I confess I had some foolish curiosity in him. Perhaps that's what possessed me to give his lackey the information he wanted, free, for the time being. I transferred details of three of Tarak's slave shipments to his omni-tool and while he perused the data with a thanks on his tongue, I vanished into a shadow, leaving him to look around himself confused.

I avoided afterlife for a little while, not wanting to bump into Sidonis again too soon; but I did keep a closer eye on Archangel. Sure enough, within a week, all three of Tarak's shipments were disrupted; the ships destroyed, the slaves freed and the credits stolen. I had to give Archangel credit… he was good. It gave me a couple of evenings of amusement too, as Tarak paced his base wondering what the hell had happened, too stupid to ever once think that I might have had something to do with it. In fairness to the poor batarian, he didn't know that I'd hacked his personal console while he slept to get that information in the first place.

The thrill I got from seeing my actions have such an effect on Omega made another meeting with Sidonis inevitable.

He sought me out in Afterlife when I was next there. This time I dragged him into a private booth, making a show of him being 'just another client'. I straddled his lap and made nice against his mandibles and neck, all the time whispering eclipse's plans to smuggle a large amount of red sand through Omega.

He slipped a credit chit into my pocket as I ground my hips against his rapidly parting plates. The power I held over him was delicious; both in the information I was feeding him and the pleasure I was inflicting on his person. It didn't take much to get him begging for a different kind of help. For a few extra credits I did what he asked, making quick work of our pants… and his erection. He left Afterlife a very happy turian.

News reached me of the Eclipse's misfortune, and once again, I was able to sit back and bask in my private victory.

This sort of exchange went on for several months. Every now and again I would meet with Sidonis, he would slip me a cut of whatever the takings had been from their raids and I would slip him information along with a good time.

I didn't mind fucking Sidonis, even if he was a bit simple. He was a good turian; he liked to be led… to take orders. Shame I was so into bad boys, especially since sex with turians ticked so many of my personal boxes. There was something raw and powerful in them, something primal in their mating instincts that just drove me wild. Never mind that magic lower plate that hit just the right spot if you knew where to grind and the smooth flanging dual tones of their growling voices. Yeah… turians were definitely my favourite 'clients'.

I should have realized it wouldn't last. I should have known that eventually even stupid men like the leaders of the blue suns, eclipse and blood pack would twig that I was the only real connection between them and the attacks.

So that's how I found myself running for my life through the back allies of Omega, dodging bullets from krogan and vorcha. Garm himself was right on my tail, shouting and cursing me at the top of his lungs.

I ducked behind a large cluster of dustbins and bought up my omni-tool, sending an urgent message to Sidonis. Since our meetings had become regular, Sidonis had formed some kind of bond with me. I didn't mind it so much. He was pleasant enough to be with and his promise of protection should anything go wrong was definitely appealing. Especially now.

I admit, I was impressed at how fast he managed to reply to me, setting up a place for us to meet. He promised to bring muscle and to extract me from my current predicament.

I ducked out of cover again and dodged a few badly aimed shots as I legged it through a narrow passage, cutting through a few alleys and forcing my pursuers to take a longer route. One stray shot caught me in the ankle, causing me to yelp in pain and stumble, but I fought through the pain, continuing to run. I just had to hold them off for a little while; just till Sidonis got to me.

I made it to the rendezvous point completely out of breath. I didn't think I could run anymore even if I wanted too. Sidonis wasn't there yet so I had to wait. I waited for as long as I could before I heard the tell tale sounds of krogan and vorcha approaching. Glancing around I caught sight of two large ventilation shafts on either side of the alleyway and made fast work of the rusty grating at the bottom of the right hand ventilation shaft. It was a rough squeeze and a sharp piece somewhere caught my arm as I wriggled into the flimsy metal tube. I managed to replace the grating just as the krogan and vorcha arrived. I heard Garm order his men to look for me; but masked by the filthy smell of Omega, they couldn't find me.

I was waiting maybe ten minutes, worried that the blood dripping from my ankle onto the fans would give me away, when I received a message from Sidonis. He'd arrived, but couldn't locate me. I replied, warning him of the rusty condition of the metal and my ankle wound. If he was gonna start a fire fight, I was going to be a sitting duck in the old shaft.

Sure enough, after another minute or so, I heard the sound of explosions and gunfire, the roar of charging krogan and the screeching of hungry vorcha. I heard Garm shout for Archangel to be killed. I winced and stifled a scream as a shotgun round pierced the shaft and hit my already wounded leg, mangling it that little bit more. I felt a tear run down my cheek as I held back the fear and the pain. The shaft was stiflingly hot and stank of god only knows what. I could hardly breathe. Finally, the sound of fighting outside stopped.

I held my breath, not daring to breathe in case I was heard.

Then there was a knock on the metal around me. Someone was tapping for my attention. I knocked back, desperate for release and medigel. There were a few more shots, then the sound of the metal grate below me being ripped off.

"How the hell did she get in here!?" I heard the rumbling sound of an unfamiliar turian voice.

"She's nimble." I heard Sidonis reply. "Maggie!? It's all clear, come out here."

"I can't!" I managed to gasp through my pain. "Shit. I'm sorry Sid… I'm hit too bad."

There was a momentary pause, then the other turian spoke again. "Sidonis step back, Maggie brace yourself."

I cottoned onto his plan too late to say anything. The metal of the vent was ripped away, the sharp edging catching me to the hip and cutting pretty deeply. With the metal out of the way and yet another agonizing wound, I fell. I fell backwards and into the waiting arms of a turian in dark blue c-sec armour. He pulled away his helmet as he handed Sidonis more medigel; my turian friend already applying what he had to my mangled leg.

"We have to get her back to base." I heard Sidonis say. I barely registered his meaning though. I was captivated by the cool blue of turian eyes above me and the steady strength of the arms that were wrapped around my shoulders, clutching me in an instinctively protective stance.

"Archangel right?" How I managed to speak is beyond even me. Something in those beautiful eyes gave me strength.

He nodded a little. "Yeah, you alright?"

I managed a small smile. "I've survived worse. Thanks for coming for me though. I wasn't sure you would."

"Sure, just don't die on the way back. It would be a wicked waste of grenades."

I laughed, thrilled with his sense of humour, similar as it was to my own. I couldn't help but like him. "Yeah, I hear that. Mind giving me a lift? I'd walk but y'know…" I lifted my wounded ankle a little at him.

"Spirits, you'll be asking me to chew your food next." He remarked as he very gently moved his arms to brace themselves around me. Very slowly and carefully he lifted me and began to carry me, bridal style down the alleyway towards their home base. I confess… I was a little smitten with my turian rescuer; though, hell would freeze over before I ever told him that.


	2. Chapter 2

"It's probably best for you to stick with us. The mercs are gonna be after your blood." Sidonis was saying as Archangel's asari medic, Melenis was patching the worst of my wounds. They'd bought me into the main room of their base. Archangel had sat me on the sofa facing towards the entrance to the basement and cleared the room of whatever members of his team were lingering. Now it was just me, Sidonis standing just behind me and the asari woman at my feet.

Archangel himself was sitting on a leather sofa not three feet away, cleaning his rifle and pretending to have little to no interest in the conversation. I'd not got as far as I had without learning the subtleties of each cultures body language. He was listening carefully, I was sure of it.

"We'll look after you…" Sidonis was saying.

I pushed the asari medic away and she sat back with a scowl on her face as I tried to pull myself up.

"I don't need anyone to look after me." I grumbled, meeting his gray eyes with a stubborn firmness.

"You can't go back." He protested, "They'll be looking for you!"

I snorted. "What you think the mercs were my only sugar daddies? Please, give me some credit. I won't be loosing my usefulness just yet. I still got contacts…"

"And protection?" He snapped irritably. "Your tough but we're talking three merc groups here. You're right after archangel on Omega's most wanted."

I raised a finger in his face. "Nu-uh, I'm not wanted by Omega, I'm wanted by the mercs, and they don't own Omega yet."

"You have contacts with Aria." Archangel said from his seat. It wasn't a question, he'd worked it out all by himself. That gave him brownie points in my opinion.

"A few." I confessed with a sly smirk.

"If Aria finds you selling her secrets even we won't be able to protect you."

I rolled my eyes. "Please. I'm not the one selling her secrets and if Aria's as clever as I think she is, she'd know that." Noting the confused look Sidonis was throwing between me and his boss I clarified for him rolling my eyes as I spoke. "A few of her people pay for a fuck with information… and Aria's people don't just have eyes on Aria, they tend to see a much broader picture, hence why they're my most valued clients, not the mercs. Besides." I gave a pointed look to Archangel. "I'm not stupid enough to sell serious secrets on Aria; just the ones she feeds me… and I can tell when they're fake."

"So you deliberately give false info?" Melenis asked from her spot on the floor.

I shrugged. "Only if they're stupid enough to buy it."

"Did you ever give me false info?" Sidonis asked, his voice tones reading incredulous.

I rolled my eyes again. "What do you think?"

"All the info we got from Maggie paid off." Archangel pointed out.

"Why sell false info?" Melenis asked. "Aren't you just gonna get into trouble that way?"

I shrugged. "Most of the people that fall for the fake tips are walking into a trap and end up dead. Naught for me to worry about then is there? And I get a decent cut from Aria."

"So you work for Aria." Sidonis shook his head. "I thought you were better than that."

I laughed. "Wise up dumb arse, we use each other. I don't work for her, she doesn't work for me. We just… help one another out. I spread her lies once in a while, she keeps me supplied with valuable information."

"How can you tell the lies from the truth?" Melenis asked.

"I'm not stupid." Was my cryptic reply. "Aria knows that."

Archangel set aside his gun and got to his feet, coming over to stand in front of me. "So, what can you tell us about Aria?"

"Weren't you listening? I don't sell Aria out." I took my seat again, the pain in my leg bothering me.

"Right, and what about the mercs? It's in your best interest to clear them out a bit… got anything useful on them?"

I smiled my smoothest smile and laced my voice with sly seduction. "Y'know, Sidonis usually has to pay me for that kind of talk."

"Yeah, well…" He rested his clawed hand on the sofa beside my head and leaned in close to me. "We did just save your life."

He was trying to intimidate me, the almost inaudible growl emanating from his throat was a dead give away. The result however was the last thing he expected and as his superior sense of smell picked up the wave of pheromones, a look of mild surprise crossed his features.

I continued to smile. "I think you overestimate the value I place on my own life Archangel."

He drew back and surveyed me through those cool blue eyes. "Omega's just a game for you isn't it."

I shrugged. "It passes the time. Though, I gotta say, it got a hell of a lot more interesting when you showed up." I sighed and crossed my wounded leg over my good one. "Well, looks like you're gonna be stuck with me a little while at least." I indicated at my wounds. "So sure, I'll give you a couple of hints. The mercs are pissed with me sure… but they're more pissed with you. They're looking for ways to track you down. You gotta act quick and weaken em before they get too many good ideas. Garm is getting a big shipment of weapons next week, pretty big payload. Blood Pack tend to go through their guns pretty quick so, if those weapons were intercepted, well… it'd be a pretty big blow."

"I'm gonna need a time and place." Archangel crossed his arms over his chest and settled for looking superior at me since it was obvious he wasn't going to be scaring me any time soon. Gods I did love a guy with confidence.

"Sure. Next Wednesday, Eleven PM citadel time, Docks 11." I shrugged. "He's gonna have a pretty heavy guard, but it'll be the usual. Expendable vorcha infantry and a few heavy krogan. I'd give you exact numbers but…" I shrugged. "well, I've worn out my welcome it seems."

Archangel nodded once and beckoned to Sidonis to follow as he took the stairs and disappeared into the left hand bedroom, leaving me with Melenis.

The asari went back to looking over my wounds. "These are pretty bad." She mused aloud, her brow furrowed with concern. She was young for an asari, only a couple of hundred I thought, with a purple tinge to her smooth complexion.

I shrugged. "Shit happens."

She cocked her head to one side at me. "You're not in pain?"

"Course I am. I just don't care."

"Well…" She said as she went pack to bandaging my ankle. "It's a good job Sidonis and the boss got to you when they did. I think he's a little sweet on you y'know…"

"Your boss?" I arched an eyebrow, stubbornly ignoring the thundering in my chest.

She shook her sweet little head. "No, Sidonis. Going out to get info from you was his favourite assignment."

I laughed. "I don't think being 'sweet on me' had anything to do with that."

She smiled up at me as she shifted to inspect the gash on my hip. "Maybe, but he loves talking about you." Her purple eyes flickered up to meet with my red ones. "Trust me, he's got a soft spot for you."

"Then he's an idiot." I retorted, pursing my lips and looking away.

She frowned a little. "He's hot for a turian."

I shrugged. "Sure, if you like that kind of thing."

She paused in her ministrations and looked disappointed. "You don't I take it?"

"He's not my type."

"Pity. He's gonna be disappointed." she dug her fingers into the gash suddenly and I yelped out in surprise.

"Watch it tentacle head!" I snapped. "What I don't have the hots for your boy so you're gonna punish me!?"

She gazed at me with a somewhat bemused expression for a moment, then she broke into a laugh. "Tentacle head!?" I stuck out my tongue at her. "Easy Maggie." She said, as her laughter subsided into giggles. "I'm just checking to make sure there's no shrapnel left in this one."

"Whatever."

I didn't expect to be staying with Archangel and his crew for as long as I did, but I found them to be such a curious bunch that I ended up hanging around even when I was patched up enough to be back on my feet.

Melenis was an attentive nurse and like all true physicians lectured me on being careful with my newly healed limb. She would have seen me in bed another week if she could. When she wasn't nagging me or being generally irritating, she was pleasant enough company. We shared a similar taste in music and art and twice during my initial healing time she bought me a good magazine from the markets or downloaded a play list she rightly thought I'd like.

Sidonis fussed over me too, though I was less tolerant of his attentions. When I was passing him info, fucking him for money it was fine. Now that it was obvious I was going to be around a while he seemed to think that that had all meant something, that I'd somehow deliberately gotten myself wounded just so I could go live with him. Huh, like hell.

One evening it was just the two of us still up; the others having retreated to their dormitory and he actually tried to get something going with me while we were sat there on the sofa.

I smashed his head against the coffee table and told him once and for all that he meant just one thing to me. Credits. If he couldn't pay me, he couldn't have me. Harsh perhaps, but I think I made my point. He certainly avoided me for a while after that.

Archangel seemed to think the incident was testament to how irritated I was with being cooped up and finally agreed to let me come along on one of his smaller missions so I could blow off steam.

We were going to be 'interrupting' a slaving transaction. Nothing to do with the major players on Omega, just a couple of low life scumbags that had grabbed a couple of people from the lowest parts of Omega to sell off to passing batarians.

We arrived on the scene, Archangel, a human called 'Monty' and me. The would be slavers hadn't arrived yet, but we could see the batarians car about to arrive so we took positions. Archangel went up top, concealed on a maintenance catwalk, sniper rifle out and aimed.

Monty flanked from the left, and I flanked right. The car landed, the door opened. Five batarians got out.

The one in the centre's head exploded from Archangel's first shot. His signal that the fight had started.

I aimed my pistol and took out one while Monty's assault rifle took down another. That left two. batarians were never very smart in my opinion. One went for Monty, his head exploding before he'd gotten anywhere near the human. The other charged at me. In a flash I'd holstered my gun and drew out my knife. I struck hard and fast, plunging the blade into the arse's neck and letting the blood spurt from the wound onto my face. He grabbed at his wound and gurgled as he went down.

I cleaned my knife on the dead guys shirt and sheathed it again. Monty was staring at the corpse with a dumbfounded expression, so I radioed up to our boss. "What now?"

"We wait. Those slaves still need a hand."

I nodded in agreement and kicked the batarian corpse at my feet. "We should probably hide this lot. It's gonna be one hell of a give away that something ain't right otherwise."

"Affirmative." Came his reply. "Hide the bodies back in the car."

"Ah Boss you serious?" Monty had finally come to his senses. "That's a BNR five… that's a good car." He reached up and brushed his black hair out of his dark eyes so he could look up at where he knew archangel was stationed.

"I'm serious Monty."

The human man rolled his eyes and put away his assault rifle. "You're the boss." Hands now free he leaned down and grabbed the nearest batarian by the shoulders to drag to the car. "you gonna give me a hand?" He asked me.

I leaned on the wall behind me and smiled. "I'm having fun just watching you thanks."

"Maggie…" Archangels voice rang a warning in my ear.

I rolled my eyes. "Alright alright." I bent over and grabbed my own victim.

Between the two of us it didn't take too long to pile to bodies in the car and lock them out of sight. Then we took position again, this time waiting for the slavers.

They arrived on the opposite side of the street, five young human men got out of the car, grabbing their cargo as they walked towards the rendezvous point. Two young looking human women and… my heart leapt into my throat and I felt sick. A little girl, no older than twelve. She had a black eye and blood coming from a wound on her arm. She hobbled as she walked, a twisted ankle I thought. One of the slavers grabbed the back of her head and thrust her forwards. She stumbled, whimpering pathetically.

I raised my gun, took aim, and squeezed the trigger. The slaver that had pushed the girl fell to his knees, then slumped forwards in a pool of his own blood. The death alerted the other slavers and they all armed themselves, aiming at where I'd shot from. That would have been no trouble if they hadn't taken the two women and the child as shields.

"Come out!" The obvious leader barked. He had the child by the back of the neck; the terror in her eyes striking me harder than any physical blow could.

Monty was glaring at me from his position, obviously furious.

"What the hell Maggie!" Snapped Archangel over the comm.

"A minor miscalculation. Leave it to me." I came out of cover, aiming my gun at the leader, a scowl painted on my features.

The leader smirked, his eyes traveling over my body. "Drop the gun or the girl is going to die."

I smiled. "You know, the going rate for a child slave is pretty low, even here on Omega…"

"Which is exactly why she's going to die if you don't back the fuck off!" the man snapped.

"How's about this then… you let her go, and you can have me instead."

The man glared at me long and hard, then he smiled. "Sure, drop the gun and get over here."

I put the gun down and took a few steps forwards. "You let her move away and I'll keep walking."

The man thrust the girl forwards, she stumbled again but managed to stay upright. She took a tentative step forwards…

Then a shot rang out and the slaver boss's head exploded. The child screamed. I ran forwards and grabbed her around the middle, crashing her to the floor with my body over hers as the shots began to ring out. Monty fired, the slavers fired, Archangel fired.

One of the woman hostages was shot in the chest, the other managed to fall to the ground with only a wound to the leg. The little girl beneath me was sobbing hysterically. One of the slavers advanced towards us, apparently determined not to leave empty handed. Keeping the girl covered I drew out my knife and threw it at the man. It hit him in the lower leg and he fell to his knees so that Archangel could shoot off his head.

Then it was quiet but for the girls sobbing.

Slowly and cautiously I lifted myself off her and sat back on my heels to inspect the battleground. One woman was dead, the other clutching her leg. The girl seemed fine but for her previous injuries. I drew out some medigel and began applying it too her while Monty comforted the woman.

Archangel came down from his perch and advanced on me, anger in his eyes, but I beat him to the punch, literally. My fist collided with his jaw. "What the fuck did you do that for!?"

"Me!? You were the one who shot first!" he spat.

"I had it under control! You got one of them killed! Damn near got her killed too!" I indicated at the child.

"You are the one that fucked this up Maggie! The blame is on you! I've never lost a hostage until now!"

"You idiot! I was about to be in the best position for a surprise attack! Those men would have been dead before they had a chance to fire except that you just had to charge in guns blazing!"

"You were unarmed!" He snapped.

I slammed a palm against his chest. "You daft fuck!" I shouted. "I'm never unarmed! I am one of the best hand to hand combatants on this rock! I told you I had that training! I told you!" I shoved him again. "She could have been killed!"

"There were four of them Maggie! Four men against one woman!"

"You sexist bastard! I could have taken them!"

"Not fast enough you couldn't!" he grabbed my attacking wrists in his gloved hands and stared me down through the glass in his helmet.

"You don't believe me!? Fine… Fine, when we get back to base I'll show you exactly how much you fucked up!"

We drove in silence. The little girl and the woman had been dropped off at a clinic close to their home neighbourhoods, both assuring us they could make their way from there. Since the woman turned out to be the childs aunt, I was satisfied with the arrangements. So we returned to base, Monty shifting uncomfortably in the thick silence between me and his boss. Twice he tried to crack some kind of joke or open conversation and twice he received an icy glare from his boss and me.

The moment we passed through the main doors I grabbed the back of Archangels cowl and shoved him towards the door to the basement giving him a pointed glare. Members of his team who were sitting in the main room looked startled. The batarian, Erash even drew his gun. Monty went over to him and shook his head.

As if to show me who was in charge the turian took his time removing his weapons and helmet, placing them carefully on the coffee table before heading towards the basement doors. I followed him, eyes narrowed on his back. If looks could kill…

He locked the basement door behind us. I arched an eyebrow at him. "Don't want the others interrupting." He murmured.

I snorted as I headed down the steps to the clearing below. "Don't want them to see you get your arse handed to you?"

He followed me. "Maggie… look, what happened was a mistake but beating each other up isn't going to make the woman come back to life…"

He'd been stretching out his arms and not watching me. It was easy to grab the back of his cowl again and swing him round into the wall. He slammed against it with a satisfying thud. "No, but it will make me feel better." I growled out.

He slowly pushed himself off the wall, then, quick as a flash he'd turned on me, his hard, plated fist colliding with my collarbone. I grunted with the force and stumbled back, but by some miracle managed to stay on my feet. He was strong, I gave him that. I blocked a second attack, this time aimed for my head, and swung round, kicking him squarely in the unplated waist.

He gasped for air, all the oxygen knocked out of him.

He regained himself enough to throw out another punch, but I was one step ahead. I slid my legs out, one in front, the other behind. I went down into perfect splits and effectively dodged his move. In his moment of shock I swung my legs round, swiveling and kicking his own feet out from under him. He fell, landing hard on his back. He tried to roll to his side but I grabbed his arms, using my full weight to keep him on the ground; my face ending up only an inch or so away from his. "I know my limits." I growled out. "I know what I can and can't do and I could have saved all three of them if you hadn't gotten trigger happy!"

He roared a sound of rage and using that against me, rolled us over so now he had me pinned. "You're hardly one to be criticizing for being trigger happy! If you hadn't taken that first shot and stuck to the plan they would never have been in danger in the first place!"

Rage filled my own blood and I slammed my forehead against his nose. He let out a shout of surprise and was distracted enough for me to throw him off and scramble to my feet. He got up too and we circled each other. Blood was pouring from his nose and a noticed that the colour matched his markings, combined with the enraged fire in his eyes… gods he was beautiful.

My admiration cost me the upper hand. He tackled me and I fell backwards with his full weight slamming into me; my head bouncing on the concrete floor enough to leave me dazed. "What the hell were you thinking!?" He growled.

I wrapped my thighs around his waist, a move that caught him off guard, his eyes flashing at the intimate contact. I used my strength and grip to roll him over so I was straddling his waist and put my hands around his neck, choking him. His hands clawed and my wrists, leaving thick gashes in the skin. I held on for as long as I could, but eventually my grip gave in and I was thrown off again, this time into a wall, archangel holding me there by the shoulders, his eyes boring into mine, demanding some kind of answer.

"I wasn't thinking!" I snapped. The surprise confession caused some of the anger to drain from his features to be replaced by a look of puzzlement. "I reacted alright! He pushed the girl and I reacted!"

He took a moment to consider this, a moment I used to bring my feet up to press on his chest and throw him away from me. He stumbled back and made a move to strike me. I spun to the left and dodged him, grabbing his forearm and throwing him against the wall I'd just been held against. He made the move to get up and strike at me again but I held up my hands in a surrender gesture. He stopped immediately and lowered his fists.

I glared at the floor like it had been the one to wrong me. "I fucked up… fine, but I was gonna fix it. You got in the way." I looked up and met his gaze with a fiery one of my own. "I can't stand the scum that hurt children. It makes me sick. They can fuck with me all they like, I know who I am and what I've done to deserve it… but that kid… she's just a kid." I shrugged. "There's nothing she could've done to deserve that." I sighed and let some of my anger drain out. I bought my hand up to massage my collar where he'd hit me. A bruise was forming I was sure.

I'd become so lost in my thoughts, the memory of the terror in the childs face that he startled me when his hand brushed some of my long red and pink hair out of my sweaty, bloody face.

"You're a good woman Maggie. You might not want anyone to know that… but you are."

I snorted. "Don't make a saint out of a sinner. I just…" I shrugged. "Its gotta be fair play y'know. The idiots I fuck with here, they're just that… idiots. They have it coming. But kids… bystanders… this is their home. Fucked up as it is." I shrugged. "Maybe that's why I like hanging with you guys. This is my home too. It's a nice to see someone watching out for us for a change."

"I can't be the first person to try and help Omega." He mused.

I shook my head. "Course not, we get all kinds of crazy's, but they'll usually be dead or defeated by now." I smiled. "You've just gotten bigger." I playful punched his arm. "That's impressive shit."

It was his turn to look at the floor. "If I were a little more impressive she wouldn't have been killed today."

It was in that moment that I first saw him. Not archangel, not the vigilante… but the man behind all that. He was strong, there was power in him; but doubt too. So much self doubt, self loathing… fear. He'd hidden it all so well, the mask of hero certainly suited him. Underneath though, he was no different from the rest of us. Just as crazy, just as fucked up.

In another moment I saw the truth, the reason he'd lived so long and succeeded on Omega where countless others failed. Archangel had come here to die. He had nothing left worth holding onto, so he'd come to make the ultimate sacrifice in the name of justice; and how could Omega defeat an already defeated man? Huh… how poetic.

He was still standing close to me. I reached up and grasped his chin gently in my fingers, forcing him to look back at me. "What's your name?" I asked.

He looked a little surprise. "You don't know?"

I shrugged. "Never cared to find out… I care now."

"Garrus Vakarian." There was still a little pride in his name, I heard it in the tone of his voice. He'd done something he thought was worthwhile at least.

"Well Garrus Vakarian. You didn't kill that woman, Omega did… and if you ask me you're doing a damn good job of avenging her. That's what you're here to do right? Avenge us poor Omega dwellers?"

His mandibles flared a little in the tiniest of turian smiles. "I guess." He straightened up, forcing me to let go of him. "Thanks Maggie. That was a good fight." In a flash his Archangel mask was back on, the man beneath retreating before my very eyes. I mourned the loss. "You're very talented, and yeah, you could have taken those slavers. But your hand to hand still needs a brush up. I can help you with that if you like."

I chuckled a little and folded my arms over my chest. "Sure, whatever. Looks like I'll be around anyways."


	3. Chapter 3

After our little sparring match, Archangel and I seemed to have found some kind of common ground. I had the idea that I'd somehow earned his respect. Something to do with my little soft spot for the helpless I think. He took me on a couple of other missions and kept his word about helping me brush up on my hand to hand sessions. Sessions that I found particularly thrilling, no matter how much I tried to bury my attraction to the shady turian. It was in these sessions that I got to know Garrus Vakarian, locked in the basement together was the only time Archangel would step aside for a little while.

He told me about his life before, his time at c-sec, how it stifled him… how thrilled he was to get to work with the great Commander Shepard in bringing down Saren… and how devastating her death had been for him. How useless he felt without her leadership, without her friendship. I sympathized as best I could, gave him what encouragement I was able. Unfortunately emotional support isn't something that comes naturally to a woman like me.

My growing connection to the vigilante didn't stop me from continuing my own business of course. Not only as my work fun but I could get better info for Archangel that way; and nothing thrilled me more than the fire that would light in his eyes when I announced I had details of a good target for him. Gods only knew what had come over me. I never needed a purpose before… hell, I still didn't, this was just a bit of fun… wasn't it?

So yeah, I carried on with my info gathering, that's how I ended up taking it from behind from Aria's turian guard, Grizz. I liked Grizz, he knew what I was, knew why I was there and never expected anything else. On top of that he was deliciously evil with those talons of his.

I bit my lower lip, bracing myself against his headboard as his lower plates rubbed my arse and thighs raw, his moans coming in a rough growl with each perfect thrust. His hands came up to grope at my breast before running down my sensitized skin, over my hips and to the juncture between my thighs. With a few masterful strokes he had me screaming as I went over the edge, pulling him with me. He roared out his release, then pulled away from me, flopping to one side of the bed, breathing heavily and leaving me to right myself.

I cleaned up and was pulling on my trousers when he began to speak. "Aria's keeping an eye on a shifty group that just arrived."

"Oh?"

"Humans… religious fanatics I think. Anyways, they're shifting a lot of expensive shit…"

"Religious corruption, love it." I smirked.

He shook his head. "They're not doing anything illegal, the stuff their shifting is all medical and lab stuff."

I frowned pausing in my search for my top. "Then why are you telling me?"

He glanced at me. "Come on Maggie… legit business on Omega? That's as rare as a fertile krogan." He paused a moment, shifting in his pillows to get his cowl into a more comfortable position. "Aria's had me keep an ear on em. They've come to Omega looking for something, test subjects I reckon. They keep talking about something called 'project eve' and how they're gonna perfect it."

I froze. I felt the colour drain from my face. I swallowed hard, trying to steady my wild heartbeat. Grizz picked up in my change of attitude. Bloody turian senses. "You alright?" He asked, one of his brow ridges raised at me.

"I'm fine." I found my top and pulled it on, lacing up the front. "What else do you know about these whack jobs?"

"They got a pretty big ship docked at bay five." he shrugged. "Imagine someone might be interested in their expensive cargo."

"And the people? Where do they hang out?"

"Afterlife, where else?"

I nodded. "Cheers Grizz."

"Don't let the door hit you on the way out." He growled, rolling over onto his side and starting to doze.

I left him to his sleep and headed straight for afterlife.

For the first time in god knows how long I kept to the shadows, watching the patrons come and go, letting the music cover the sound of my footsteps and the dancing bodies hide my shadow.

I found them.

They were sitting at a table in the lower bar, three of them. An asari dancer danced on their table, shaking her arse in their faces for their amusement. They were identifiable by their long kept hair, braided neatly down their backs, the black and silver leathers they wore and the dark tribal looking mark around their right eye. Around each neck was a heavy silver cross hanging from a simple chain, at their belts, pistols and a knife each. Standard equipment for them.

I slipped into the booth beside them and had the bartender bring me my usual. "How long have these guys been visiting?" I asked the salarian as he approached.

He shrugged. "Bout a week."

I nodded and let him go, sipping my drink and listening carefully.

"How long is the boss planning to sit round this shit hole?" man A asked.

Man B shrugged. "Long as it takes. He's sure he's tracked her here."

"Good place to disappear." Man A agreed.

Man C seemed too interested in the asari to really contribute to the conversation but he did add "He's gathered a few 'volunteers' from the lower residential levels too."

Man A sniggered. "That's the great thing about a place where people disappear, no one notices a few extra empty seats."

"I hope we don't have to rebuild Eve from scratch… took bloody years the first time." Man B mused.

"They don't just grow over night y'know."

"Yeah, even more reason to find her."

"She's been missing for years…" Man A said.

"You doubt the Father!?" Man B sounded outraged and it had drawn Man C's attention.

"Of course not!" Man A protested. "If this is gods will, then I will follow as I have always done."

"God will bring Eve home to us." Man C assured his comrades. "She must be so lost without us, without our cause to guide her."

"She's an angel among sinners. We'll find her."

I'd heard enough. I downed what was left of my drink and slipped away into the night.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Maggie! Where were you?" Sidonis greeted me as I stormed back into the base. I ignored him entirely.

"Where is he?" I barked at Erash, who was standing at the kitchen table working on repairing some battered armour. He gestured towards the stairs and I went up.

I didn't even knock, I just went into his room. He was sat at his desk going over some schematics for the docks area of Omega. He looked up, startled, when I barged in.

"I got you a new target. Religious cultists, kidnapping people from the lower levels for experiments in their big arse ship. Lots of credits in it."

He sat back in his seat and looked thoughtful. "Yeah I heard about them from a couple of other contacts… they've been mostly quiet… just something subtle rubbing me the wrong way. You say they're kidnapping?"

I nodded. "Yeah, they're trouble. Even Aria's been keeping tabs on them."

His mandibles snapped against his jaw as he scowled. "Yeah, I hate Aria, but she knows whats what and I hate kidnappers more. What info you got on them?"

I pulled up a chair and sat beside him, telling him everything I'd heard at the bar and from Grizz. Even threw in a couple of things I knew myself… just a little. "They're deranged, they prefer pistols for ranged combat and knives and swords for close combat. They believe they're protected by god, that their father has blessed their crosses for divine protection." I snorted. "The only thing special about those pendants is a tiny shield generator concealed in them. Gives them a couple of free hits."

He nodded. "Alright; get some more info about the defenses around this 'big arse ship' and we'll make a move. Sidonis has a few contacts interested in them, you should work with him."

I got to my feet. "Sure. I wanna go with you on this one though."

He shrugged at me. "If you want."

I gave him a nod, a hand to the shoulder and turned to leave.

Sidonis was on the other side of the door. Listening in I was sure. I raised an eyebrow at him. "Looking for something?"

He shrugged. "You alright Maggie? You looked ready to put a bullet in someone…I thought maybe…" He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"What? That I had beef with your boss? Hardly." I pushed passed him and crossed the hall to the dorm room. Melenis was helping Archangels salarian team member with upgrading some grenades. Monty and Butler were sitting on one of the leather sofa's and were challenging Krul the krogan to a drinking contest.

I ignored them and took my favourite spot, sitting on the window ledge that looked over the bridge leading to the base. Unfortunately Sidonis followed me.

"Look… Maggie… I know what you said before and I'm sorry… I made a bad call." I looked round at him. To his credit he didn't back down. Instead he leaned casually on the wall I was supporting my back on. "I shouldn't have presumed anything, so I wanna do things right this time…"

I rolled my head to one side to look at the empty bridge. "Gods Sid don't do this."

"Maggie…"

"Look I don't know how clearer you want me to say it! No! I'm not interested."

"Come on Maggie, cut me a break. Cut you a break! You know I'll look after you…"

I snapped, my arm came out and shoved him away. He stumbled backwards as I swung my legs back inside and got to my feet. "There's your problem Sid. I don't need anyone to look after me, I can look after myself! I don't need you, I don't need any of you! I hang here cause I feel like it ok?! Not because I'm looking for any kind of 'family' or 'feelings'. So take you 'feelings' and shove em up your bony turian arse!"

I shoved him again as I went past. "I'd sooner fuck Krul than touch you again… you obviously can't handle the steam!" Ok, so that was definitely harsh. Something about him and his words just enraged me. The pity and sympathy in his face whenever he looked at me… like I was something to be saved… like I was worth saving. Fuck him. What did he know.

I heard the krogan laughing at Sid as I left the base, mocking him for his 'failed attempts to mate with a female half his size but twice his quads'. I would have found that funny if I wasn't so pissed off.


	4. Chapter 4

I gathered what information I could, spying, listening… making 'arrangements' with Grizz and another of Aria's men. Eventually I had a data pad of useful things. Archangel was pretty pleased and with Sidonis' information about the guards, he felt we were ready to make a move.

It was the night before and I was up in the dorm room polishing a particularly intricate piece of metal I was planning to add to a rather plain piece of ribbon in my hair. Melenis crept through the door and approached me the way she did when she thought I wouldn't like what she was going to say.

"What?" I snapped, not taking my eyes off the shrapnel.

"Well… I was just thinking… you've never been so focused on a mission before, in fact you usually keep your distance as much as possible." She shrugged. "Just seems a little personal."

My hands froze on the metal I was polishing for a moment before I continued. "If it was it wouldn't be any business of yours."

She sat on the sofa next to me, leaning forwards a little and trying to catch my eyes. "Its ok to talk about thing's Maggie… you can trust us."

I snorted by way of reply.

"Do you have some kind of history with this… cult?"

"Fuck off Mel."

"So you do…" Clever girl. "Were you one of them? Before you came here I mean?"

I gave into her want and let her catch my eye, fixing her with my darkest glare. "No. I most certainly was not!"

"Then what…"

"Don't make me bash _your_ head into a coffee table Mel." I warned.

She sat back a little, her eyes registering some sort of shock. "What?! You did that!?" I arched an eyebrow at her. "Sidonis told me he'd tripped over…"

I actually laughed. "Sidonis is an idiot, but he's not clumsy. No, I gave him that little shiner."

"Little shiner!? You fractured his outer plates!"

"He shouldn't have pissed me off then." I gave her a pointed look. "I'm not telling you anything so you can sod off now."

She sighed and got to her feet. "Fine. At least promise me that whatever is in your history with these people its not going to endanger anyone."

I held up three fingers. "Scouts honour."

She looked confused. "I don't…"

I rolled my eyes at her "I promise."

She nodded and got to her feet. "Alright. I hope I can trust you Maggie."

I snorted again. "I wouldn't."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Taking out the first few guards and getting on board the ship was easy, almost too easy, for Archangel, Sidonis, Monty and me. We made our way to the cargo holds where all our goals were centred; free the prisoners, collect the expensive medical tech to donate to Mordin Solis's clinic and my personal favourite, hack into the ships main database to find out what the fuck these whack's were trying to pull.

We went lower and lower into the ships bowls, meeting surprisingly little resistance, until we reached the main cargo hold.

It was a large square room with an upper walkway. Ten or so human prisoners were in cells to the right. Archangel being Archangel made a beeline for them, working at the consoles to hack through the force field barriers.

Sid and Monty moved to the left to check out the stashes of equipment and salvage there, leaving me to take the centre console to access the ships mainframe.

My hacking skills weren't as finesse as Archangel or Sid's, but they were good enough for this. A few of the access codes I still had from my last run in with this bunch were still working… it didn't really sit right with me, but I wasn't about to question it. Perhaps I should have…

My codes opened a door opposite me, giving me direct access to their computer core. I took the bait, dodging around the console and into the little room, activating my omni-tool and downloading the data I was sent to get.

"We should get going." I heard Archangel say behind me. He'd finished releasing the prisoners and they stood behind him looking frightened. Those that were brave enough went to find guns from the salvage pile Monty and Sid were pilfering through.

My omni-tool blipped, telling me the download was done. I was about to close the link when some files caught my eye. "Give me a minute to finish up here." I called back as I began to download those too.

"Need a hand?" Archangel asked, breaking away from his little group of rescue's to take a few steps towards me.

The files needed a password, I tried an old one I had and it passed. "No I'm good." The files began their transfer and Archangel went back to organizing the prisoners.

"Start getting them out of here." He ordered Sid. The turian picked up his pack of selected salvage and motioned for them to follow him. One by one they moved towards the exit.

I turned back to my download…. Forty nine percent… fifty percent…

There was a loud error message and my stomach dropped. The lights in the cargo hold flickered, there was the sound of initiating systems. The doors up top opened and marching footsteps thundered on the walkway… at the same time to door to the room I was in slammed shut and locked on me.

I screamed and banged my fists against the metal. I could hear shouting in the room beyond and…gunshots.

The lights in the little room went out, plunging me into darkness. Just as quick a VI holo interface lit up behind me, making me spin round to meet the eyes that haunted my every nightmare.

"I knew you'd come back to us Eve." Came the mans dark voice. The sound made my skin crawl, filled me with paralyzing fear.

He was in his early fifties, his gray hair slicked back behind his ears neatly. His eyes were dark brown and filled with a look of righteous insanity. He wore black priest's robes with a large silver cross hanging from a simple silver chain. He held out his arms like he expected me to embrace him.

I backed against the door, my eyes wide with terror as I beheld him. "This was a trap!" I gasped. "You were waiting for me!"

He smiled, it was full of false love. It made me sick to see. "We always knew you needed us Eve, we had to find you."

"Go to hell!" I screamed. "You sick pervert! Leave me alone!" I spun around to bang desperately at the door again. "Archangel! Garrus! Help me! Please!" My voice grew horse with the shouting.

"The heretics have poisoned you against me." Said the eerie figure. "They must be punished. But you… my daughter. You will be washed clean…"

His words turned my fear to rage. "I will never be yours!" I shouted with all that I had. I drew out my gun and shot at the interface… once… twice… three times. It frazzled, then went out, plunging me back into darkness, but at least free from that demon's watching eyes.

There were still gunshots outside, I was terrified for my new found comrades, for Archangel. I bought up my omni-tool, using it like a torch and lighting the little room in flame orange light. I looked around for something… anything that might aide my escape.

To my luck there was a maintenance hatch in the ceiling. Climbing on the computer systems I was just able to reach it. Blasting the grated hatch open with my gun, I pulled myself up and into the vents. Still using my omni-tool for light, I followed the tunnel along until I found an exit. Kicking it open, I emerged to find myself on the maintenance walk, looking down a line of snipers aiming downwards at my comrades below.

I drew out two hidden combat knives and with a roar enough to startle my adversaries I charged at them.

My blade hit the first man's neck, his hands came up to fruitlessly attempt to stem the bleeding of his jugular vain. I pushed him aside and struck at the second man, digging my first knife into his chest, then spinning round to catch his neck with my other.

The third man had by now drawn out a pistol and was firing at me. I ducked low and slashed at his knee's. He howled in pain and fell to the ground; my high heeled boot stamping on his neck as I passed to the fourth man, also firing his gun at me. I grabbed his wrist, slammed it against the railings of the walkway and forced him to drop the gun. Then I grabbed his upper thigh and threw him over the railings after said gun.

The fifth and last man just stared at me, too stunned by the death of his friends to make a move. I drew back my fist, allowing flames… my own brand of biotics… to engulf my fingers. I struck him with all the strength I could muster. His flew back into the wall behind him and slid to the ground motionless.

This left the five snipers on the opposite walkway. I turned to face them, throwing out my flaming hand as I did sending a shock wave of fiery explosions over to them and detonating canisters on the walkway like bombs. The entire walkway creaked ominously, then, with a loud snapping noise, it fell. No survivors.

I took a moment to compose myself, bringing my own fire back into myself. I stood there, shaking and staring at the five corpses around me.

"Maggie!" Archangels dual toned voice snapped me out of my dark thoughts. Remembering what I was in the middle of I looked over the walkway to my companions.

There were no prisoners below, Archangel was looking up at me, his own sniper rifle drawn. Sid was bending over Monty a little way to the left, the human having taken a shot to the leg. "Time to go!" He barked.

I nodded once and grabbing the railings of the walkway I vaulted over, landing neatly on my feet in front of him.

"Did the prisoners get out?"

He nodded. "Yeah, they didn't seem bothered about stopping them, just shooting us. They got out fine."

"Then we need to get the fuck outta here."

Sid already had Monty on one shoulder and called to Archangel for help. Between the two of them they carried the injured human, the four of us making our way out of that god forsaken ship.

We rounded a corner, the exit in sight… and several guards blocking our path. Not in any kind of mood to be delayed I let my fire burn one last time for that night, throwing it out in a wave in front of me and reveling in the tortured screams of the captured victims.


	5. Chapter 5

I was furious, worse than furious, I was livid. The mission had been a disaster… and it was all my fault. How did I not see that it was a trap?! How could I have missed something so blatantly obvious? Gods I was stupid. I kicked at a piece of debris on the road outside the base, growling and watching with satisfaction as it crashed to the floor a little way off.

"Would it kill you to lend a hand!?" Archangel snapped at me. His nerves were as shot as my own. I couldn't blame him. The safety of his people was paramount to him, having one of his team wounded on his watch would be worse than the death of that hostage woman a few weeks ago. I knew this, but it didn't stop me from venting my rage on him when he snapped at me.

"What the hell can I do you twat!? You and Sid are both stronger than me!"

"You could open the fucking door!" Sidonis shouted. I turned my anger in his direction as I slammed my fist against the green panel and storming through as they slid open.

Archangel led Monty to the couch and called for Melenis, who came running with her med kit to tend to the wounded solider.

I stomped to the kitchen table where the data pads full of info in this heist were stacked. I rummaged through them, looking over the intel. "Nowhere in here does it say anything about snipers! How the hell could you miss something like that!?" I threw one of the offending pads at Sid and watched with satisfaction as it hit the back of his head with a dull thud. "That's a fucking amateur mistake! How could you miss it!?"

Now as enraged as I was, Sid rounded on me. "Screw you!" He shouted, pointing a talon in my direction. "You were just as responsible for gathering info as I was! You didn't notice anything about snipers either!"

"I was only getting info on the loot! I expected you to do your part of the job properly!"

"What the hell is your problem!?" The turian spat. "We got out ok…"

"The ship will be leaving tonight… especially as they've had such a drastic security breach! We're not getting another shot at this!"

Sid scowled at me, his mandibles flaring and snapping shut, his head shaking slightly with irritation. "We got ten thousand credits worth of salvage and got all the prisoners out unharmed. I call that a brilliant success!"

"That's because you're too stupid to comprehend what we could have lost!" I snarled viciously; the memory of that wicked man's face glaring at me in that tiny room. His welcome too haunting for me to bare.

"Maggie calm down!" Archangel stepped in, the conflict too much for even his long temper. As he tried to step between us before we came to blows, I realized the rest of the team had gathered to watch the spectacle. "So we didn't do as well as we'd hoped, but we have to take what victory we can get."

"Oh shut up you short fringed, fat waisted turian! No one asked your over righteous opinion!" I didn't mean it. The moment the words passed my lips I regretted them, the evil stirrings of guilt settling in my gut. Archangel was… well, the fire his presence lit somewhere down south was testament to how untrue I felt my words were, yet by turian standards I'd insulted his appearance. I felt like bashing my head against something hard. Smooth Maggie… real smooth.

There was a long moment of silence as his team waited for his reaction to such a ridiculous insult with held breaths. Archangel himself seemed stunned, unsure whether to scold me or laugh at me. I felt my cheeks redden with embarrassment and refused to stand there and be ridiculed any longer. Brushing passed him, I stormed up the stairs and locked myself in the dorm rooms… much to my team-mates protest.

I sat on my favourite window ledge, the one that overlooked the bridge nearby, letting my legs dangle out into the putrid Omega air. I leaned against the sill and finally let the tears fall. Hell would freeze over before I ever cried in front of anyone. It was a weakness I would never display if I could help it. Tonight had just been too much. I liked Archangel… and hell, I liked his team too. Because of my blindness, Monty was hurt and we'd gambled our freedom. The cult... would never have wasted anything even their lives. I shuddered to think what that man might have done to them… to Archangel. I was exhausted, physically, mentally… emotionally. Everyone has demons I suppose and I suppose we never expect them to catch up with us. I prayed to whatever deity would listen that mine wouldn't cost Archangel… or any of his team.

As I sat there, I tried to pinpoint the moment that I'd come to give a damn. I'd thought I was just hanging with them for giggles… something to pass the days on such a repetitive rock. Somewhere along the line it stopped being a game… and I didn't like that. Gods I didn't like that. I didn't know how to deal with that kind of… attachment; anyone who got close to me before ended up dead, though, not by my hand… I'm not that much of a monster.

It was the first night Archangel and I had sparred. When I met the man behind the name for the first time. That first night… when I got a thrill from rescuing the life of a young girl, otherwise destined to be a slave and felt enraged by her companions death. That's the night I began to care, I was sure of it.

Archangel had given me something to want… an ideal to believe in that until now, I'd considered a foolish dream. It was still foolish… but somehow it felt more friendly when there was twelve of us believing it together. Maybe we would never achieve it… maybe Omega would always be fucked up, but that wasn't the important thing anymore. What was important was finding hope. Something I was sure was dead on Omega.

How long I sat there crying and trying to untangle the complex web of emotions that had grown in me since I met Sidonis all those weeks ago, I can't be sure. The next thing I became aware of was a long taloned hand wrapping around my upper arm and gently trying to coax me back into the apartment.

"Come on… come sit away for a bit." The dual toned voice was soothing to me and I turned to look up into Archangels piercing blue eyes. He didn't look angry with me, though I couldn't understand why he wouldn't be, after all I'd said and done.

"You… don't mind?"

"Sure… come on." He pulled me again, still gently, but more insistent.

I did as he asked, pulling my legs back into the building and getting up to let him lead me out of the dorms, across the hallway and into his own room.

He sat me on the edge of his bed and moved to close the shutters on the window. I thought perhaps he wanted to sleep with me… some sort of retribution for my mistakes of the evening. It wasn't his style I knew, but its what I'd come to expect from people. Instead though he moved to leave the room.

I didn't want him to go, pathetic as I felt. I'd come to care for Archangel and his presence was soothing, though I'd done nothing to deserve it.

He was about to open the door when I spoke to the floor. "I'm sorry for what I said." My voice had the desired effect, he stopped and turned back to me. "Your fringe is lovely and your waist… very slender."

He chuckled a little, it was a warm, comforting sound. "Careful, I might think you're hitting on me."

I was. "Well if you'll go round being the strong silent type..." I managed a small smile for him and looked up.

He wasn't taking my flirting seriously… maybe he wasn't into humans? Whatever the reason, I didn't have it in me to push the matter. Not tonight. "How come you don't bug me like the others do?" I asked, desperate to keep the conversation going. Desperate for his presence. Gods how pathetic.

He shrugged casually. "I figure if you have something to say you'll tell me in your own good time."

I nodded. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

"No trouble. You got something you wanna say about this mission?" His tone was gentle and I got the impression I could tell him to fuck off if I wanted and he wouldn't push. Still, I felt like I owed him some kind of explanation… and hell… what an explanation it would be. He deserved to know I supposed. He'd helped me enough. If nothing else… my story might get him to linger for another few minutes.

I heaved a heavy sigh, turning away… unable to meet his eyes. I didn't want to see what his reaction might be… when I told him the truth about me. I didn't want to see the disgust and the disappointment. There was always disgust and disappointment.

"When the snipers arrived I was trying to hack onto the ships primary database…"

"The primary one? Why?"

"I found the ship was carrying records of one Daniel Collins… 'Father' Daniel Collins he calls himself. He's the founder and leader of the Demones cult… he… 'made' me." I gave him a moment to say something. He didn't, so with a deep breath I continued.

"Daniel was obsessed with what he called 'Project Eve'. He wanted to create a woman that could mother in a generation of 'perfect' humans. He spent a fortune tracking down all the genetics that would eventually make up me; choosing his prisoners carefully.

I don't have parents Archangel… at all. I was stuck together out of the stolen genetics of others. He cloned a beautiful woman, and added all the other parts he wanted as little extras. He was crazy.

When I was 'born' there were still some imperfections he wanted correcting. Queue the surgeries. Then it turned out I was sterile because of the extensive genetic manipulations. He was pretty angry about that one… queue more genetic experiments and surgeries.

He was desperate to make this perfect woman… and when I was ready, he was desperate to father my first child himself. He wasn't gentle…" I broke off, swallowing down the lump in my throat and fighting off the darkest of my memories… the screaming, the pain, the pleading for mercy. I took a shuddering breath, desperate for control. It was a wasted effort. Fresh tears rolled down my cheeks.

"When I miscarried he was furious, but he just insisted we'd 'try again'… and again… and again. Apparently my body just couldn't support a child. So… back under the knife; more trials, more experiments. I hated him. I hated that place. But he didn't look at me like I was a person. He saw me as a tool. Something to be used… he didn't care that I had feelings. I'm sure if he thought he could, he would have taken my emotions away just so I would sit still for him…but the more he hurt me the angrier I got.

It took a long time for me to come to terms with it all. I was raised by Daniel. His law was all I knew, for years I believed that what I was going through was normal that it was just… my purpose. But I got to speaking with some of the guards, the prisoners… even a few of Daniels men. They told me stories about the outside world and eventually I realized that he was wrong. I might not be worth much but I was worth more than this.

It took a lot of courage but I managed to send a call for help to some high ups. Within weeks there was an investigation and Daniel's cult was ordered to close down. Daniel didn't give up though. He didn't fancy going to prison. So he took all the data and burned the place to the ground one night.

I woke up in a bed of flames… I'd known for a while that the fire wouldn't hurt me. Not something I ever told him though. I feared his reaction. I was sure it was some kind of result of all the genetic modification he had done on me. It works the same as biotics, just the flame is real flame instead of eezo energy." I had to take another pause in my story. I wanted Archangel to say something, but he just stood there, listening to my sorry tale. Damn it I couldn't even read his expression.

"Anyway… I got up and I looked for a way to escape. I could hear screaming coming from the labs and went to investigate. Some of the prisoners involved in my creation and subsequent modification were still there. Including the woman he had used as a template, the one he had cloned to make me. I let them out. I freed them all. The woman… my mother I suppose… she was an ex marine. When we were free of the place she looked after me. She taught me to use combat skills. I didn't have her long though… Daniel came after us soon as he learned I'd lived. He killed her.

That's when I came here… to Omega. I know he's looking for me. He comes back to Omega once in a while, he knows I'm here. So far the Suns, Eclipse, even the blood pack have kept him away from me… but I don't have their protection anymore."

I bowed my head, unable to control the flow of tears now, Daniels evil face floating behind my eyelids, mocking me, his arms held out as if he wanted to embrace me. I shuddered in fear. "Oh gods." I sobbed openly. It was too much. I looked up at him. He was like a statue. I couldn't read anything in his strong turian features. "Please…" I choked. "I don't want him near me… I can't stand the thought of his hands on me again! Please!" I hid my face in my hands… to ashamed to keep his gaze. "Please don't let him find me!"

I was lost in my fear for a moment, I didn't feel the bed dip beside me. But I did feel the warmth of his arms as they wrapped themselves around me and drew me against his strong, broad chest. I buried my head in the crook of his neck, feeling his mandibles catching in my hair as I sobbed with as much relief as sorrow.

"I won't let this creep touch you." He promised, his voice as sincere as ever. It was the tone he used when making promises to the people he saved… the victims he rescued and bought justice too. "Tell me what you know about him." he said. "And I'll put a bullet in his brain."


	6. Chapter 6

I did tell him. I told him everything. Pouring my heart out till I had nothing left to give. Every little detail that I could remember about 'Father' Daniel was given up to my Archangel.

He held me the whole time, occasionally his talons came up to run soothingly through my hair. He seemed fascinated by the texture and the colour, though he grasped every word I spoke despite his minor distraction.

Finally there was nothing else to say and I just rested against his cowl until finally, blissful, empty sleep claimed me.

I'd never slept so well in my life.

When I woke I was carefully tucked into his bed, the covers drawn up to my chin. Archangel himself however, was nowhere to be found.

Downstairs the team members that had risen early enough -Erash, Krul and the mangled human bounty hunter, Ripper- told me he had gone out a few hours before. He hadn't told anyone where he was going though.

I couldn't help but be concerned for Archangel. It wasn't like him to go out entirely alone… not since the mercs put such a large bounty on his head. I paced the kitchen until Sidonis got up.

He stood at the top of the stairs when he saw me, weary it seemed after our disagreement the night before. Finally he seemed to find his balls and descended to make himself the turian equivalent of a coffee.

He passed me on his way to the couches… and stopped dead in his tracks, spinning round to fix me with a piercing gaze.

In my heightened emotional state, it only took a couple of seconds for him to make me uneasy. "What!?" I snapped.

"I…You…you weren't in the dorms last night…" He said carefully. This wasn't much of a give away to whatever it was that might be bothering him, I often slept on the sofas if Krul's grunting snoring became too irritating.

"So?"

"You… erm…" he looked uneasy, yet irritated at the same time. I could see a little inner battle going on behind his eyes. The irritation won out. "You smell of Garrus." He said finally.

I shrugged. "Angel let me bunk with him last night. Seeing as how I was in such a pissy mood he thought you guys could use a break from me. Wise leader you got there."

"You slept in his bed though?" Sidonis asked, his brow plates furrowing. "I mean… he's got sofas up there…"

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah so? Jeez Sid you don't own me. Why are you getting so worked up anyways? You know I fuck around… not that I fucked Angel."

"You didn't?"

I scowled at him, drawing out a cigarette and lighting it…without a lighter. Sid stared at the cigarette. The team still hadn't gotten used too my fiery biotics. I kept my tone low and icy… a threat and a warning. "If we had slept 'together' it would be none of your business, but to avoid another silly argument with you no, we didn't."

He seemed somewhat reassured by this, yet there was still a kind of suspicion in his eyes as he turned to lean on the kitchen table and sip at his drink. "Ok." He said at last. "Look… Maggie. I'm sorry about what happened yesterday. You're right, it was a stupid thing to overlook… I own that."

I sighed and leaned next to him. "Yeah well… I shoulda been more careful about it. The whole thing stank and I shoulda picked up on it."

I took his lack of response as an agreement. He was quiet a long moment before finally breaking the silence again. "Maggie… why did you work for the mercs?" He asked

I raised an eyebrow. "I never worked for the mercs, I used them. Omega is about survival of the fittest. I was clever, they were dumb, they supplied me with the means to get by." I shrugged. "That's all."

"But… I mean they're powerful people… for Omega. They could have given you more than credits. If you were just using them why didn't you take it?"

I took a drag on my cigarette and puffed out the smoke in front of us. "What are you getting at Sid?"

"They could have got you off this rock, you could have started a life somewhere else."

I snorted. "I never had information that was 'that' valuable to them. But I wouldn't leave Omega anyways."

He looked surprised. "You wouldn't?"

"It's a shit hole, but it's my home, there'd have to be one hell of a reason for me to leave."

"But there's a whole galaxy out there… wouldn't you like to see it?"

I shrugged. "Sure, I wouldn't mind a vacation. But I'd always come back I think." I smiled at him. "Home is where the heart is an all that jazz."

"So why don't you use your um… skills, to get that. You could if you wanted to."

"Sure, if I wanted too. Haven't felt the want yet hun." I raised an eyebrow at him. "What's got your knickers in a twist anyways? You thinking about leaving?"

He shook his head. "I don't have those kind of credits…"

I nudged him gently, smiling at him. "But if you did. Where would you go?"

He shrugged. "The citadel. I was born there… spent my childhood in the wards."

I felt the surprise show on my face. "Really. How'd you end up here?"

"I made a couple of bad calls. Gambling debts kept me here when I arrived. Still… the citadel has always felt like home…what was that… home is where the heart is?" He smiled his turian grin.

"I'm sure you'll find your way back. You can be a resourceful little shit."

He laughed. "I don't know if I should take that as a compliment or not."

"Take what victories you can right?"

He looked away with a small smile in his mandibles. "Yeah, I guess."

Archangel didn't get back till late that evening. I was sitting on the couch in his room when he got in. He looked tired and though he'd managed to slip by Melenis in the main room without her noticing, I saw he had injured his left arm.

"What the hell happened to you?!"

He groaned a little and flopped down onto the sofa next to me, not at all bothered by the fact I was in his room. "The Demones Cult haven't moved out. They just moved their ship and doubled their guard." He set his sniper rifle down, leaning it against the seat and took off his gloves. The hand underneath was blue with his blood.

"What the fuck Angel!?" I jumped to my feet and dashed for the medical kit he kept in the corner for just such occasions.

I bought it over to him and taking his hand, I began to coat it in medigel. He protested a little at first, but I glared him down until he sat still and let me deal with it. "Its not as bad as it looks." He insisted.

"Dude… you've been shot in the arm." I glared at him as I inspected the obvious bullet wound. He'd done to rudimentary first aide on it already, the wound was relatively clean and the bullet already fished out, there was also some minor healing left by whatever medigel he'd had at the time. "Where have you been?"

He sighed heavily and rested his head on the back of the couch. "Well, like I said, the ship hadn't left, so I went to finish what you started…"

"On your own? Are you crazy?!"

He shrugged. "Maybe. Anyway, they doubled the guard, obviously expecting you to come back. Well, they got me instead. Shocked them a little bit…Managed to get what I needed though. Daniel is on Omega, he's here looking for you."

I paused my tending, the fear flooding through me as it had the night before. I felt goosebumps rise on my arms, the flush in my face, the nausea in the pits of my stomach.

"Hey!" Archangels voice broke me out of my dark thoughts. "He's not gonna get you Maggie. I promise."

I nodded. "I believe you." Then I snorted. "Foolish of me."

"Why?"

"I should know by now not to believe anything Omega promises me."

"Its not Omega that's promising you anything. Its me. When have I ever let you down?"

I looked up into his bright blue eyes, so full of fierce determination. I smiled back at him. "Not yet I guess. First time for everything though…" He opened his mouth to speak but I cut across him. "Don't take it personal, I don't trust anyone to keep their word. Not here. Not on Omega. How else could I have survived this long?"

He sat back in his seat again with something of a smile on his face. "Expecting the worst... so there's a small chance you'll be pleasantly surprised?"

I shrugged and finished tending to his arm, wrapping the wound in a medigel coated bandage. "Don't get shot again." I said as I cleared away the empty packets. "Certainly not for me. I ain't worth that much trouble."

He smiled, mischief in his eyes. "I think you underestimate the value I put on your life Maggie." The sound of my own words being thrown back at me made me smile and I hit at his arm.

"Screw you… you crazy fuck."

He was out again the next day and again I was worried. More so now that I had an inkling of what he was up too. Those cultists were dangerous… he was playing with fire. The worry had me pacing holes in the carpets until Erash yelled at me for irritating him. Then I took my worry to Afterlife and tried to drown it in alcohol. At least the bartender was interesting enough eye candy. Turian, of course, with pale markings. He had enough sympathy for me to toss me double shots when I was paying for single. It was an unusual, but appreciated kind of charity. I said as much to him and he laughed. "You look like you need it. I've been here long enough to learn a bit about human facial expressions."

I spent the rest of my evening flirting with him. But he wasn't into humans. Pity. I settled instead for an asari Matron that had sidled up and joined our conversation somewhere in the evening. She was pretty enough and her figure was enough to make me jealous. Mind you, most asari make me jealous.

She took me back to her apartment and we 'embraced eternity'. I still found asari sex a little weird… but the comforting oblivion that came from joining our minds was enough to placate me.

When I woke in the morning she was still sleeping, exhausted from my demonstration of how my people 'embraced eternity'.

I dressed as quietly as I could and slipped away before she could miss me.

Back at the base, Archangel still wasn't back. It was the first time he'd been gone for so long and his team were starting to worry too, more so when Krul managed to 'persuade' me to tell them what I knew. Several broken pieces of furniture and bruises later, I told them he'd gone after the Demones cult. I didn't tell them why.

"Is he crazy?!" Erash cried out, slamming his batarian fist against the kitchen table.

"Why wouldn't he take us with him?!" Melenis whined.

"Its her fault!" Krul pointed one of his beefy fingers at me. "She made the fuss, now he's gone back!" He took a thundering step in my direction, I braced myself for another fight with the krogan, but Sid stepped between us.

"Knock it off!" He shouted. "The boss is a free man! He can do what he wants."

"He's only doing it to impress her!" Krul shouted, still pointing at me. "He watches her like she's his last fucking meal!"

I raised my eyebrows. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me! You slippery Omega whore! Having Sidonis under your spell wasn't enough? You had to seduce the boss too!? She's got him wrapped around her little finger!" He slammed his fists together, preparing to charge passed Sidonis.

I got there first, throwing a flaming push at him. He howled in pain as he was thrown backwards into the wall, leaving an impressive, scorched mark behind him as he slid to the ground. He roared angrily and got to his feet, still thinking to charge me… until Sidonis' gun was pointing between his eyes at point plank range. "Back off Krul."

"Watch it turian…" Krul growled out.

"Stand down both of you!" Archangel had finally reappeared, coming through the main doors to be confronted by the sight of his squabbling team.

Sidonis lowered his gun and Krul quieted his growling. With a huff, the Krogan pushed passed Sidonis and left the base, muttering something about finding a real fight.

Archangel shook his head and moved to the stairs. He was blocked by Melenis. "Oh no Mr!" She scolded, her arms folded over her chest. "Where the hell have you been! You had us all worried sick!"

"Melenis, I didn't know you cared." Archangel scoffed.

"You idiot!" She slapped his upper arm. "Of course we care, you're our leader!"

"I'm fine, really. Just working on a little something."

He refused to say anything more to her, retreating to his private room. He locked the door too, so not even I could bother him. I didn't like it. I crawled through the apartments air vents, skipping out the door entirely. But when I dropped down into his room he was curled up in his bed, sound asleep.

Shaking my head and moved to pull the blankets over him and settled myself on his couch. He wasn't getting rid of me that easily.


	7. Chapter 7

**This chapter will contain a sex scene.**

I was smashed out of my head when I returned from Afterlife the next night. I'd not found myself a shag though, apparently my worry for archangel had got to the point where I no longer wanted sex. It was a situation I'd only been in once or twice before and like most things concerning my emotions towards the turian vigilante, it unnerved me.

I stumbled through the front door and even managed a vague hello to Sidonis, Erash and Melenis who were playing some kind of card game at the kitchen table, before blacking out. Yeah, I needed to find a new outlet for my nerves.

When I woke, it was to the smell and soft touch of clean cotton sheets. It was too big to be my bed though so before I'd opened my eyes, I'd deduced that someone had put me in Archangel's bed.

I groaned and drew up my hand to rub at my swollen eyes. My head was pounding and I still felt sick to my stomach.

"Good morning." Archangels voice chuckled at me.

He was perhaps the last person I wanted to see me like this. I groaned even louder as he turned on the bedside light, making it shine right in my eyes. I managed to sit up a little and a cool glass was pushed into my hands. Water… gods bless water. I downed it like a dying man. Finally I wrenched my eyes open and squinted in the low light.

Archangel had taken a seat on the edge of the bed beside me. He wasn't wearing his usual armour, rather, a set of blue and black casual clothes. It looked good on him, brought out his eyes and the darkness of his marks. I tried to say so, but the most that came out of my mouth was a croak and a groan, which made him laugh again.

"Shuuup." I slurred out. I thrust the glass into his hands. "More."

He shook his head at my abrupt rudeness, but he got up and went to the bathroom anyway. When he returned I downed that glass too. "Thanks." Finally I had my voice back. I pulled myself up and drew my knees to my chest, balancing my arms on them.

"Feeling better?" He asked, still laughing at me.

"Its your fault I went and got drunk anyways." I snapped. "Sneaking around and coming back with bullet wounds."

"Didn't know you cared."

"Uhuh. Just knock it off will you, you're gonna push me to an early grave… you know… earlier than just living on Omega."

His mandibles flared in a small smile. "No more sneaking off. I promise."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Seriously?" It surprised me he'd given over so fast. Had he been unable to corner Daniel? Had the demented 'father' escaped Omega?

"I have something for you." He stood up and went to get something off his desk. It glinted in his talons a moment before he tossed it over to me.

I caught it and inspected the gift.

"Holy Christ!" I gasped. "Is this…"

"Off his chest…" he indicated to his own torso, about where the cross would have hung on its master.

I opened my mouth several times to speak… but failed and ended up closing it again.

Glinting up at me from my palm was the large silver cross that Daniel had always worn, his name engraved on the back, as it has always been. It gleamed red in the low light, blood staining the silver.

"He's dead?" My voice came out like a hoarse, nervous whisper. "You killed him?"

He nodded and sat beside me again. "Yeah. Cornered him on his ship… blew the whole thing to oblivion… after I got you this I mean." he tapped the top of the cross in my hand. He smirked with a little embarrassment in his eyes. "Probably be hearing about that one on the news sometime soon." His talon came up and brushed at my cheek. It was then that I realized I was crying. "Maggie? Say something."

I swallowed down the sobs that threatened and managed to meet his eyes. "Freedom!" I gasped. "I'm free!" My hand closed tightly around the cross, as if letting it go might make it less real somehow. "I'm free!"

He drew a little closer to me, his head leaning down towards me, his arms coming up to encircle me. "Yeah. He's not going to be bothering you anymore."

I couldn't hold back anymore. I wept, sobbing erratically as Archangel held onto me. I was in shock, I was sure. I could hardly feel my own limbs. Everything was overwhelming. The news of Daniels death, the cool metal beneath my fingers… the scent of a handsome turian who had saved me in more ways than he could ever comprehend. He was more magnificent to me than ever before. My savior… my hero.

I managed to regain some composure, though tears still ran over my cheeks. "Did you… Were you quick?"

He looked away, unwinding his arms from me, the shadows of shame dancing on his features. "No." Was his short reply.

I reached out and grabbed his forearm, making him look at me. "Tell me." I managed to choked out.

He stared at me a long moment, trying to gauge my motive I think. Perhaps it seemed morbid, or bloodthirsty to his avenging soul. Eventually however, he gave into my request. "He tried to escape… after I killed off his guards. So I shot him in the legs. He backed into a corner, but he didn't beg. He just laughed at me, saying god would strike me down, would save him." He paused to shake his head.

His eyes darkened over with the memories. "He kept saying how he was going to find you… finish his project. I… lost control. I slammed him against two fuel canisters, gas started leaking, that's when I got the idea to blow the place up… first though… I… beat him within an inch of his life. Then… I slit his throat… the way you do when you kill." He shrugged. "Seemed right at the time.

I watched him bleed out and took the cross for you. Then I set the bomb and got the hell away." He shook his head again and glared at the floor. "I shouldn't have lost it like that, but he just kept saying 'god will save me'. He honestly thought he was innocent of any crime, even as he was dying. Spirits…" He growled a little and he shook with the anger.

I put gentle pressure on his arm, trying to be reassuring even as I clutched the cross to my breast. Finally he met my eyes again. He was still ashamed of his own brutality. So typical of an Angel, to doubt their own good deeds. I ran a hand from under his eye down the side of his fringe. It had the desired effect. His eyes closed and he leaned into the touch. He was exhausted from his fight and slowly his namesake was slipping away, retreating to nurse his wounds till only Garrus was sitting in front of me. Tired and desperate to know he'd done the right thing.

"You saved me from a fate worse than death." I whispered. "Thank you." I slipped my fingers to the back of his head, massaging under his fringe and drawing him close to me again. Finally my forehead touched his. It was not something I'd ever done before, but I'd seen turians 'kiss' in this manner before. A few of my 'clients' had tried to introduce me to such a gesture, but it seemed to intimate a thing. Not anymore, not with him.

Garrus seemed to appreciate it. A low rumble began in his chest, a turian purring. He closed his magnificent blue eyes, his hands straying from where they rested on the bedcovers to my hips. Gently, he pulled me towards him, guiding one leg to sit either side of his waist.

"Maggie…" His voice was several tones lower than I was used too and stoked the fire I was already feeling. Yet even as I wrapped my other arm over his shoulder and deepened my sensual rubbing of his neck and fringe, he seemed hesitant. "I don't… I mean… this isn't what I…"

I pressed a kiss to his mandible. "Relax. Let me do something for you."

He wanted to protest, but I was as stubborn as ever. I tightened my legs around his waist and guided him to turn so he was facing me properly and our hips could grind together. He maneuvered his legs to slip under mine so we sat facing each other, our legs crossed over each other, our chests pressed together. He rubbed his forehead against mine, letting out turian sounds that apparently didn't translate. I understood him perfectly though and ran my tongue and teeth over his mandibles and neck. He tilted his head giving me better access as his hands came up to rub my back and look for fastenings to my top.

I paused my ministrations, much to his displeasure, and guided his talons to the laces on the front of my top. Carefully he undid them as I expertly located and undid his tunics buttons. It was expertise that seemed to unnerve him a little. He backed away as my laces came undone. Slowly I peeled my top off before running my hands over his arms, trying to sooth and coax him back towards me. I didn't need to be a genius to work out that this was Archangels first time with a human. His nerves were unusually endearing to me. Usually I wasn't much of a teacher, first timers just weren't my MO. Garrus was something special though and I wanted him to enjoy this, so I put all my expertise to use in finding the places that drove my turian partners wild. I drew my nails lightly over the softer hide of his neck, the exposed flesh between plates and finally his waist. The contact there made him growl and pull me closer… note to self, Garrus was a waists man.

Tentatively he ran his own talons through my hair and over my neck, testing the places that would be good for a turian woman. He was sublimely soothing, but I got the feeling that wasn't the response he was looking for. He tried my waist and the tops of my hips, his talons lightly scratching the skin the way my nails had done for him.

He was getting frustrated, even as I leaned in to run my fingers over his fringe.

"Maggie…" His voice came out like a growl. "I don't…"

I took his hands in my own, cutting him off. I wasn't going to make him beg. Not him. I guided his hands to run up my sides to my breasts, showing him how to touch me there, how to tease me and make me whimper. A sound he seemed to like… if his returning growl and nips to my neck were anything to go by.

I helped him remove my bra and we both had to pause and stand to remove the rest of our clothes. I sat back on the bed and he crawled up over me, his hands resting either side of me. I propped myself up on my elbows so I could reach him to kiss his face. He pressed our hips together, his lower plating already loosening, those magic ridges catching me in just the right places. I gasped and ground against him. He took the hint and matched my movements. Gods be praised he was a quick learner.

I hitched my legs around his waist to get a better angle and he growled, one taloned hand coming up to grip my thigh against him with a bruising force.

I breathed his name like a prayer and bought my hands up, one to his fringe, the other to run my nails against the skin between his plates. His plates shifted the final fraction and in another moment, he had entered me with a sharp thrust.

I gasped, blinking back the tears. He was… ehem… gifted. Even for a turian and I struggled to accommodate, but gods he felt so good! I couldn't contain my whimpers and moans as he tentatively began a slow pace, apparently noticing how small I was, comparatively.

As the pain subsided I gripped his waist with my thighs and pressed my hands onto his back to encourage him to pick things up. He took the hint and increased his rhythm. A few more encouraging nips and he was fucking me like only a turian could. My whimpers turned to growling and snarling that rivaled any turian woman. My head thrown back into the pillows, his sharp teeth very carefully pressing into my throat, holding me in place as he drove hard and fast. The sensations that ran through me set my skin on fire, engulfing us both in warm, soothing flame.

I went over first, my body tightening around him, my arms and legs wrapping around him and clasping him against me as I screamed into his shoulder. He followed seconds after, roaring his release, the tension draining out of him until he rested lightly against me, supporting most of his weight on an arm that was thrown over my head. His free hand came up to run through my bright red hair and he nuzzled his forehead against mine a final time before retreating to one side, rolling onto his back and staring at the ceiling.

I took a moment to catch my breath before slowly sitting up. Honestly, I was at a bit of a loss.

I knew what I would usually be doing right now… getting up, gathering my clothes, making a hurried goodbye and slipping away into the night… but that didn't seem right in this situation. This was different… and that was a frightening thought. It made me throw the covers off and swing my legs round to get up. I stood, and began to gather my clothing.

Garrus propped himself up on his elbows. "Where are you going?" Apparently it didn't seem right to him either.

I paused, rubbing the back of my neck, but still facing away from him. "I know you turians like your space…"

"You sleep in here all the time." He pointed out.

"Yeah…" I was stumped. No good reason other than my own cold feet really.

I heard the bed creek behind me, then felt his talons on my hips and his chest at my back. His head came down to rest against my shoulder.

"Its ok to stay Maggie." He murmured, his dual tones as soothing as ever. "I'm not a 'client' am I?"

"Honestly…" I turned in his arms and forced him to look down at me. I frowned, "I don't know what you are. I don't…I mean…" I sighed and looked away, I'd never been lost for words. "I should go." I stooped down to pick up my top but his hand caught my arm and pulled me back.

"Stay." was all he said. I glanced up and was caught in those blue eyes.

I bit my lower lip, but I let him lead me back to the bed. I even let him hold me as we slipped back between the sheets. Finally I let myself relax and rest my head against him until I fell into blissful sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Relationships, in any form and like many aspects of social interaction, unnerve me. I don't know what it was I was supposedly sharing with our… illustrious leader… but I was frightened. Neither of us said anything, we didn't have to; but it was obvious that whatever it was, it was more than just mind blowing sex. Sex of all kinds was something I was very familiar with and the kind of sex we shared was the kind that, in my experience, got people hurt or killed.

I didn't like it.

That fateful morning when I woke, I planned to slip out unnoticed, blow this whole thing off and act like it meant nothing to me. I knew Garrus would be courteous enough to follow my lead, however it might make him feel.

But as I moved to rise from the pillows, a clawed hand had grasped my waist. In his sleep, he pulled me closer to him and buried his face in the crook of my neck, a soft purr emanating from somewhere deep in his well formed chest.

If anyone else had done this they would have received a rude, perhaps violent awakening. But like I said, somehow, when it came to Garrus it was more than just sex. With a reluctant sigh and sinking feeling in my stomach, I'd laid back down next to him and rested my back against his chest to feel his hot leathery skin. This was wrong, every part of my being screamed at me. I cursed myself a fool, but couldn't bear the thought of moving, of breaking that wonderful embrace.

When he woke, about half an hour later, he seemed pretty surprised to see me there. He'd expected me to act on my original plan, I could read that much just in his eyes. In the rest of his face I could see a kind of cautious, almost childlike delight, like an Omega kid who'd been offered bread and was afraid it might be some kind of trick.

"Maggie?" His voice was still a little dry from the nights sleep.

I sat up as soon as he'd pulled away. "Morning." I said as off handed as I could. I failed and my own casual tone sounded fake even to my ears.

He blinked a few times, still waking up. I took the opportunity to get out of bed and pull on my clothes. "Sleep well?" I asked, attempting again at the casual act.

Slowly he sat up, watching me dress. "Yeah, haven't slept that good in a while."

"How come?" My curiosity got the better of me.

"Same reason as you… nightmares."

I snorted. "What makes you think I have nightmares."

His mandibles flapped in annoyance. "You toss and turn in your sleep. If its particularly violent you shout too."

I paled and kept my back turned to him. I was sure I'd slept soundly last night, I knew about the tossing and turning… shouting though?

"Sidonis and the others told me about it when you first started sleeping in the dorm. None of them could wake you though. Course, Krul sleeps right through it so he's never tried…"

I looked away towards the window, the shutters still closed tightly over them. "I didn't know I bothered them." I sounded small, pathetic.

"They're more worried about you than bothered." He said, his voice giving off a tone I'd come to understand as soothing among turians.

I shook my head. "I guess… I'm still not used to hearing that kind of thing." Finally I turned back to face him. He was sitting up in bed, the sheets covering his lower half, his arms propped up on his knees.

"I can't imagine what that's like." Now he was being sympathetic.

"I don't need your pity Garrus. Pitying me will get you killed." I said harshly.

"You'd kill me for pitying you?"

I shook my head. "No stupid! Other people would."

"Like who?"

I shrugged. "Anyone… Everyone who has something against me. They know they can't hurt me directly so they find other ways to do it. Those that pity me are only ever the ones that have somehow managed to get close to me and my enemies know that! They will read that in your face Garrus."

He stared at me a long moment, I couldn't read his expression at first until I remembered the first time I'd seen it… on the first night I met him, when he'd figured out the extent of my informant contacts.

He was contemplating something I'd just said. It was the blank stare that meant he was busy reading between lines I hadn't intentionally written. It was what made him such a good vigilante and I guessed its what made him worthy of working with the first human spectre… that ability to judge motive in even the most illusive of characters.

"I understand."

I really didn't like the sound of that one. People didn't 'understand' me, they never understood me! Understanding me was like pitying me. Except it was worse. It meant he knew me better than I wanted him too.

"Oh go to hell Vakarian and take your 'understanding' with you!" I snapped, snatching up my top and pulling it on roughly. I gave him a final bitchy glare before storming from his bedroom. He didn't say anything, didn't call after me, didn't beg my forgiveness or scold my harshness. He just let me go, his eyes watching my back. In that moment, I was pretty sure he was to be my undoing.

I didn't see Archangel for a little while after that… mainly because I was avoiding him. Every time I saw him I got butterflies in my stomach and felt an almost undeniable urge to touch or kiss him. The more I saw him, the more beautiful I found him, the more I liked his humour, his friendly nature, his strong sense of morality. It was tearing me apart.

It was hard to avoid him in his own base though and although I thought I'd been doing a good job of predicting where he would be, he finally caught up to me.

"Maggie. You seen Monty? Um… What are you doing?" He asked as he waltzed into the dorm room unexpectedly.

I was on my knees, arse in the air in the most undignified position as I stowed my box under one of the sofas. I scowled at him over my shoulder and pushed the box right to the back so it was against the wall there. "None of your god damn business." I snapped as finally I straightened up, my hand going to my head to straighten my wild red and pink locks. I caught him watching me from the corner of my eye and remembered how much he had enjoyed running his talons through my hair.

I cleared my throat, feeling awkward and got to my feet. "Haven't seen him. Why?"

He jabbed a thumb at the door. "Just gonna try intercepting an eclipse shipment Sidonis got word on… you wanna come?"

"I got somewhere to be." I shrugged.

He opened his mouth to speak… to ask me about my plans I was sure, when Monty came into the dorm behind him. "There you are Boss, you ready? Them shipments won't be sitting around for too long."

Angel nodded and turned his back on me, following Monty out of the room and down the little hall.

"Do you know what that was about?" I heard him ask the human.

"What? The crap she keeps under the sofa? Funny woman that, she stores all kinds of stuff in a box under there. Like a magpie. Don't rightly know what she keeps in there, but I've seen a couple OSD's, broken tech… saw her puttin' a big silver cross in there the other day… like the ones the cultists wore. I figure its all trophies…" His voice trailed off as he and Archangel went beyond my hearing range.

I scowled at where the two of them had exited. I needed to find a new hiding place for my box.

I pulled the little strong box back out from under the sofa. It was no bigger than a shoebox and was made of rough, worn metal. I tucked it under my arm and, glancing out into the hallways to be sure no one saw me, I darted down the hall and into archangels room.

It wasn't trophies per say…it was… well… my life. Anything and everything I couldn't bear to part with, anything that I wanted to keep. There were OSD's… photos I'd collected of places and people that might have meant something to me once, parts of old tech that had saved my life but no longer functioned, a lock of dark brown hair taken from the woman I considered my mother… a beautiful silver engagement ring set with a dark blue sapphire and a bloodied blue bandana, a silver emblem embroidered on the front. Every item told another chapter in the story of my life and last week I'd added the silver cross Archangel had bought to me to my collection. I would never forget where I came from… it was as much a part of me as everything else in this little box.

There was a knock on Archangels door. I snapped the lid on my box shut and stowed it under his bed.

"He's not in." I shouted.

The door opened and Sidonis came in. "I know, I was looking for you actually. What are you doing on the floor?" he asked, eying where I was kneeling at the foot of the bed.

"Looking for something I left in here. What do you want Sid?"

He shrugged. "Came into some credits… thought you might like to go to the citadel with me. You know… a holiday."

I raised an eyebrow. "You'd seriously come back?"

He shrugged. "Probably not… but I'll get you a return ticket, if you wanted it."

I got to my feet and crossed my arms over my chest. "You seriously gonna leave us?"

He shrugged again. "Why not. It's a chance to go home… be with my family and friends again. I gotta take it."

"Fair play… I'll miss you." I told him. Annoying as I found him… I did call him friend.

"Yeah well, I thought you might like to come too, even if you decide to come back." He shifted his weight from one foot to the other in a nervous sort of stance.

"When?" I asked.

"I'm heading out tomorrow night…"

"So soon?" I snorted. "You're not even gonna say goodbye are you?"

He looked away, embarrassed I thought. "I don't do goodbyes too well Maggie. I figure it'd be better this way."

I nodded. "I feel ya. I appreciate the thought Sid but I'm not interested."

He looked back at me, surprised. "Really? Not even for a vacation? Just a day or two? I mean… I could use the company…"

I laughed a little. "Too scared to go by yourself huh?"

He gave an embarrassed smile, his mandibles flaring a little. "Yeah… a bit."

I sighed. "Alright. I'll meet you at the transports… what time?"

"Midnight."

"Wow, rough time."

He shrugged. "Cheapest tickets."

I nodded. "Alright. Midnight."

He smiled again and turned to leave. "Thanks Maggie. I appreciate it."

I was pleased for him I guessed. He hated Omega, at least now he could go back to being a respectable turian. Its what he wanted… and I had to admit. I was curious about the citadel.

I sat on the end of archangels bed as I realized how much I was going to miss the guy.


	9. Chapter 9

I thought about leaving without saying goodbye; just wandering off to the citadel with Sid and just facing the music when I got back. Hell, maybe I needed a break from Archangel and his gang to get my head screwed on straight.

I was seriously gonna do it… until Archangel himself put other ideas in my head.

He and Monty got back from their little ambush and he called me into his room… something he'd always avoided doing before, content it seemed to let me run the show. I should have known his patience would give out eventually.

I hadn't helped things. I blamed myself.

In the months since our first… mind blowing encounter… we just hadn't been able to keep our hands… claws… whatever… off each other. I'd avoid him, he'd find me or I'd need him. Unable to resist my desires, I'd slip out of my bed in the dorm and sneak over to his room to see if he was still awake. If he was I rocked his world… if he wasn't… well I'd slip into bed next to him and let him wrap his arms around me, just so I could sleep next to his scent and the warm feel of his leathery skin.

I shouldn't have been surprised when he began to ask for my company. Hell… why should it just be on my say so?

I slipped into his room to find him stowing away his armour and rifles… including that nice special edition one I'd managed to get through my contacts with Aria. I smiled at remembering his surprise… and ultimate joy when he found someone had left him a present. He still didn't know it was me of course.

He turned to me when I came in and smiled in his turian way. "Hey." was his simple greeting.

"Hey." I replied taking a few steps into his room.

He moved to his desk and picked up a bottle of something alcohol filled. "You wanna drink? I managed to um… confiscate this one from Monty…"

I chuckled a little and folded my arms over my chest as I approached the desk. "You trying to seduce me Archangel?"

He put the bottle back on the desk, his eyes fixed on it. "A little… is it working?"

I unfolded my arms and moved my hand to rest on his face, my thumb tracing his colony marks. "Looks like it." I murmured, gently guiding his face forwards so his forehead touched mine. "Stressful day?" I asked him.

"The shipments were more guarded than I'd expected… I… wasn't sure we were gonna get out of that one."

I drew my body flush against his and gently ran my tongue and teeth along the delicate skin of his neck and jaw. He growled a little and his hands came to tighten around my waist.

"Maggie wait…" He said suddenly, though his voice seemed a little strained.

I drew back enough to look at him.

"I don't want you to think that I'm only here because I've had a rough day. I don't think of you like that I…"

I put my hand over his mouth, silencing him. "I get it." I didn't want him to carry on that sentence… I didn't want him to speak what was unspoken between us. I wasn't ready to face that yet. Hell, I could barely face him as it was. I liked the silence in our… relationship. It made it easier for me to accept him. I leaned up, standing on my tiptoes to brush kisses along his mandibles. He growled my name and finally his talons moved, now expertly seeking to undress me.

My top and trousers came away easy, pooling at my feet. My underwear was harder for him to dispatch, mainly because I was busy trying to even the playing field a little.

I was satisfied when the under armour he'd been wearing was finally laid on the desk and he was bared before me, satisfied enough to let him finish undressing me and toss my underwear to the floor with the rest of my clothing.

He tried to kiss me… difficult for a species without lips but I appreciated the gesture nonetheless and wrapped my tongue around his. His hands roamed my body, finding all the places I was sensitive and making me gasp against him. In return I ran my nails along his fringe and down the back of his neck before moving my free hand to grip at his soft, leathery waist. Avian though they maybe, he felt distinctly reptilian here, the leather skin mistakable for scales and the warm thrumming of strong muscles beneath reminding me of lizards and snakes. I loved the way he felt, such an exotic mixture of textures and shapes coupled with an extreme amount of sheer power. Such a sharp, beautiful contrast to soft human skin. Human skin that he seemed to relish in, his talons grazing down my spine and running over my breasts.

Deciding suddenly that he was bored of the gentle foreplay, he gripped my upper arms and swung me round to throw me to his bed. I bounced a couple of times, smiling as I stilled and looked up at him. He grabbed my ankle, running his hand up my leg and pulling it around his waist as he advanced on me, leaning down to run his tongue between and over my breasts, teasing each one until he was finally eye level with me, his parted plates pressed roughly against my hips. His hands slid between us and pulled my legs apart so he could get closer to my core, one of his nimble talons finding just the right spot to run teasing circles as he thrust forwards, groaning when he came into contact with my entrance.

He toyed with me till I was arching underneath him, trying desperately to get closer, get him to move a bit faster, then his hands gripped my thighs, just under my arse, holding me spread as he thrust into me in one swift movement. I made a yelping noise at his sudden intrusion… he'd always been so careful before, he caught me off guard. More so when he began to thrust heavily into me. It was both pleasurable and painful… my favourite combination. My moans turned to growls that matched his and my fingernails dug into the back of his neck. He was pushing my legs further apart and up at an odd, slightly uncomfortable, yet fantastically arousing angle, the position forcing me to give up total control to him and… gods… to trust him.

He was breathing hard against my neck, his thrusting became more erratic, the rhythm and depth disrupted in his desperation… he came growling into my shoulder and pushing against me with hard, uneven strokes.

He took just a moment to recover before his hands were on me again. Gently, he urged me to turn onto my stomach so he could press his teeth into the back of my neck while running his talons over my back… a more turian mating dance, but one that I loved. I arched into him, my hips bucking backwards into his groin as his talons set my skin on fire. As my arse rubbed him back to attention, he deepened his bite, breaking the skin and drawing blood with a savage growl. I couldn't stop my own returning growl and it seemed to spark something in him. His talons gripped my hips roughly and with a quick maneuver, he'd thrust into me… hard.

I bit down on the pillows as he began a punishing rhythm, going so far as to release his hold on my neck so he could straighten up and pound me that little bit harder, his talons on my hips pulling me backwards with every forwards thrust. Gods it was beautiful. I cried out and screamed his name… I begged him like a common whore and like a gentlemen he obliged, thrusting into me harder and faster like I asked.

I tried to raise myself up onto my hands, but one of his hands replaced his teeth on the back of my neck, holding me in a vice like grip and keeping my head pinned to the bed as he pulled my hips up higher, never once breaking his rhythm. I squirmed, trying to maneuver my hand south to touch myself, desperate for release.

"Don't!" He barked.

I froze, following his command instinctively. "Please!" I begged. "Garrus please."

He shook his head. "Not yet." He pulled out of me again and I moaned with displeasure at his absence. He pushed me back onto my back and grabbing my ankles, he pulled me to him, fixing my legs over his shoulders and leaning over me. He thrust back in and I moaned and tried to meet his thrusts, hard as it was in this position. His face was barely an inch from mine and he nibbled at my neck and collarbone. The advantage of this position was those magic lower plates he had, rubbed me in just the right place. In less than thirty seconds I was gasping and writhing on the precipice.

"Please!" I gasped a final time, not wanting to disobey him.

He let my legs fall to grip his waist and pressed his forehead against mine, his eyes locking with mine. "Now…" He whispered. "Come now Maggie."

For the first time in my life… I did as I was told. I screamed out his name so loud I was sure the entire neighborhood would hear me as fire engulfed both our bodies and I arched into his touch… into his last couple of thrusts before he followed me over the edge… our eyes still locked… our heads still touching.

Morning was actually slightly awkward. Not in my waking up with Garrus wrapped around me… I'd done that before. But in facing his gang at breakfast.

It seemed odd to me, but apparently none of them had cottoned on with any certainty that he and I had slept together… until my screaming the night before. Melenis just smiled a lot and when I questioned her said she'd simply thought we were getting on… that after the effort I put into avoiding Sidonis, she was sure it was all turians I didn't find attractive and had told the others as much. Ultimately though she said she was 'pleased for us'.

The others just gave me odd looks ranging from admiring, envious and cocky to irritated, distrusting and downright livid on Sidonis. His sour mood wasn't helped by Krul's harsh mocking that Archangel had won his woman for being a stronger male.

I tried to ignore the foul looks Sidonis was giving me, even when he approached me in the kitchen on the pretense of getting another drink.

"You said you weren't sleeping together." He mumbled under his breath so the others couldn't hear.

"When you asked… we weren't. Things changed."

"How long?" He asked glaring at his turian equivalent of tea.

"Excuse me?"

"How long have you been fucking!?"

"None of your business!" I snapped back.

"Does he have to pay you too? Doesn't seem his style."

"Fuck off Sidonis this is none of your business." I warned, turning to move away.

He grabbed my upper arm to stop me from going anywhere. "So you won't fuck me without pay but you'll do my boss?! Why? Doesn't seem your style to me! Is someone paying you to get close to him?"

I wrenched my arm from his grip. "Who I choose to get close to is none of your goddamn business!"

"Maggie!" He wasn't letting this go. I grabbed his drink and slammed it into the counter before grabbing the front of his cowl and pulling him down so I could glare at him with all the venom I could muster.

"You really wanna know the truth Sid… why him and not you? He's got a brain and a spine… he treats me like an equal, sees me as an equal and he never ever questions what I choose to tell him and what I choose to keep secret. That's why Sid! He's twice the turian you are and that's why he's in charge and your just a little lackey following him around and hoping that I might love you instead of him! Well bad luck buddy!"

"You love him?" I hadn't realized what exactly it was that I'd said until he asked me that… his face cold and impassive, his eyes darker and more closed off than I'd ever seen in him. It was almost frightening.

I pushed against his cowl violently. "If I did… it wouldn't be your business."

"You do… don't you. You love him."

"Shut up!"

"What… can't even admit it to yourself but you can use it against me?! Who's the coward now?"

"You have no idea what you're dealing with Sid." I snarled.

"No… I think for the first time I do see you clearly. You are so fucked up… you're not even worth trying to put back together! I thought you were strong… but you're not… your scared!"

My fist flew at his face before I knew I'd moved. I got him across the jaw. "Go to the citadel by yourself… I hope you rot there."

I shoved passed him and out the main doors, determined to get as far away from him as possible.

I didn't go back all day. I was angry at Sid for his words, for his nerve… but I was also angry with Archangel… with Garrus, for making me love him. I did. I couldn't pretend any different anymore and it was tearing through me like a rabid beast, poisoning me. Or maybe that was the alcohol, I'd heard one of the Omega barmen liked to poison humans. I was beyond caring.

I tipped back the last of my drink and ordered another, the batarian staring at me like I'd sprouted two heads. So he was poisoning me. I drew out my pistol and shot him square in the chest.

"No tips for you buddy." I said to myself as I slammed my gun on the bar and waved another bartender over.

The salarian looked over the corpse with absolute terror… but served me my drink anyway. Clever man.

"Wow… you must be having a shit of a day." A handsome turian sidled up next to me.

"Not interested fuck off." I downed my new drink and waved for another.

"Come on…" he protested. "There's better ways to work off stress than alcohol." He ran his hand over my hair, brushing it over my shoulder so he could move closer to my neck… it was a turian thing. I thought maybe it was the alcohol… or the poison, but he froze for a second when he saw my neck. I took the opportunity, grabbing his arm and slamming him down against the bar. "I said 'Not interested… fuck off'. You got a problem with your audio receptors!?"

"I'm sorry!" He protested, squirming under my grasp. "I didn't see your mark… your taken I get it."

I raised my eyebrows, but kept him in place. "What the fuck are you blabbering about!?"

"Your mark… it's turian right?" He seemed confused. "On the back of your neck. You've been bitten. It's how we mark our territory."

A wave of rage washed over me and I slammed his head against the bar, knocking him out cold and letting him slump to the ground.

"Maggie…" Grizz came up behind me, his gun drawn as always. "Aria says to drink without killing the other patrons, or fuck off."

"Aria can go fuck herself. Her booze is hardly worth paying for." I downed my last drink and glared at him as I slid off my stool and stormed towards the lower exit.

I got into the back allies in time to empty my stomach into the gutter. Yeah, I'd definitely been poisoned. I retched till there was nothing left to throw up then tried to stand to make my way home. My vision was blurred and I felt a fever coming over me. Shit. I blacked out.

When I woke I regretted it. I moaned into the pillows under my face and felt sick all over again.

"Into the bucket please." a plastic container was pushed into my hands and I vomited a mixture of clear fluid and blood into it. "Here, I got this from that salarian doctor down in the residential wing." A couple of pills were offered to me in a turian hand.

I sniffed a little. It was the wrong smell… it wasn't Garrus… or Sid… or any turian I knew intimately.

"What are you after?" I croaked out.

"Nothing."

"Bullshit. Everyone wants something."

"I work for Aria. I think she'd be pissed if you died on her."

I pulled my head away from my bucket and looked up at the turian standing over the bed. I recognized him.

"Gavorn right?"

He nodded. "You want these or what?" He waved the pills under my nose again. I took them.

"Thanks." I knew of Gavorn. He had a reputation of being good at his job… but if he wasn't so good with his gun he'd have been one of those 'good people' that Omega swallowed. How he ended up in this shithole I have no idea, he seemed a perfect turian Captain from what I'd heard, but I figured his lack of paint might have had something to do with it.

Very carefully I sat up and took the pills with the glass of water he offered. "I suppose you want me to fuck you or something now." I grumbled.

He laughed. "Hell no. First, you're really not my type… you know… being female and everything. Second… you're marked and I'd be an idiot to get my scent on a marked woman."

I glared up at him. "Won't your scent already be on me? Since I'm in your bed?"

He shook his head. "Not strong enough."

"Whatever. Well, what do you want then?"

"Not interested in repayment. I already told you that."

"I still don't believe you."

He smiled a little and sat on the end of the bed. "You work for Archangel right?"

"Thought you said I worked for Aria." I offered, raising an eyebrow.

He laughed again. "Yeah, but Archangel is where your loyalty lies." He raised his hands defensively as I opened my mouth to say something vicious. "I'm not criticizing. My other half is in his gang."

"Why aren't you then?"

"I'm more useful out here. I think Aria might just have me killed if she thought I was loyal to archangel. She's getting wary of him y'know."

"Who's your other half?" I asked, curious.

Gavorn smiled and leaned on his knee's "Human kid. Monty."

I snorted. "Figures." I glanced up at the clock on the beside table and swore. "Is that clock right!?"

He nodded. "Yeah. You've been out for a while."

I pushed the sheets off and got out of bed. "Well… thanks. I owe you one I guess."

He nodded once and watched me pull my boots on. "You're welcome. Tell Monty I'll see him tomorrow… if he's not busy."

I nodded and with a final thanks, made my departure. It was nearly eleven thirty in the evening and I was sure Archangel would start to wonder where I'd gotten too. Besides… I had a bone to pick with him.


	10. Chapter 10

By the time I got back to base I was suitably pissed off with Archangel. How dare he put a claim on me! He didn't own me! No one owned me! If I'd known what a bite mark had meant I'd have handed him his arse then and there and perhaps not have missed out on a trip to see the citadel with Sidonis. I grumbled and moaned my way through the front doors and glanced around.

Melenis was patching up a wound on Krul's back… apparently the Krogan had gotten into another fight. Erash was working on armour in the kitchen table again and our Salarian explosives expert was sitting on the floor by the stairs, his chemistry kit strewn all over the place.

"Where is he?" I snapped.

"Sid or Boss?" Melenis asked sweetly.

Monty was jogging down the stairs. "Your boyfriend says hi." I told him. He looked startled a moment. "Boss." I addressed Melenis again.

She shrugged. "Not here. He went out about fifteen minutes ago on a tip from Sid."

"What?"

"Yeah, Sid called him, said he'd got details about some slaving business going down tonight and would meet him there… you just missed him."

I shook my head wildly. "No… He can't be going to meet with Sid…"

"Why not?" Melenis asked, her hands pausing her ministrations on the Krogan as she looked at me with eyes full of concern.

"Sid's leaving… his transport is in… " I checked my Omni tool. "About ten minutes."

Krul got up, almost knocking Melenis to the ground. "Why would he meet with Archangel then?"

I frowned, chewing my lower lip.

"Something isn't right." Said Monty, a dark frown on his face as he leaned over the banister.

His words were like a premonition as suddenly an explosion rocked the base, smoke pouring in through the window.

"Fuck!" I yelled. "it's a set up!"

I saw Monty through the smoke rushing up the stairs to the dorm room to get the others and the guns I realized, as a few of them were thrown through to dorm windows to waiting hands below.

"Seal the doors!" I shouted. But it was too late, Blue suns were already pouring into the base by the bucket load.

Melenis was the first to fall, being so close to the main doors. Krul roared in fury and charged into a crowd of the attackers. Erash had picked up the gun he was working on and began to fire it. But it was an unstable weapon and he was forced to duck down and wait for Monty to bring him his gun.

Sensat, the salarian threw several grenades into the fray and ducked down, trying to make it to the cabinet by the basement doors where he kept the rest of his grenades. He was gunned down before he got anywhere close.

Someone grabbed me from behind and I threw up my knife, spinning and catching my attacker in the throat. The merc gurgled and went down. I drew out my pistol and started shooting. I ran out of ammo and ducked down behind one of the kitchen counters. I moved round, following the cabinets for cover until I reached Erash and Monty. Erash passed me a couple of clips and gratefully I loaded my gun. "This is crazy!" I leaned out of cover and shot down a couple more mercs, only for them to be replaced just as fast.

"Where's the boss!?" Monty shouted over the bang of more grenades and a roar from Krul.

I shook my head. "He's not coming… Sid has lured him off. That fucking son of a bitch!" I could hardly believe the words coming out of my own mouth. Sid wouldn't do that… would he? Why? Why would he do that? Why would he help the mercs? Then it came to me… with a wave of despair and sorrow it came to me. The last piece falling into its awful place and I slapped myself for not seeing it coming.

"He sold us out." I murmured. "He sold us out to get back to the citadel… back to his family and his old life. He said he'd come into credits recently… he asked me before why I didn't get the mercs to get me off this dump… He said he wanted to go home." I shook my head. "Gods I shoulda seen it coming! I'm such an idiot!"

"Hey!" Erash barked, knocked his hand against my shoulder. "You're not the one who betrayed us. You're one of us."

Coming from Erash, that was high praise and I was grateful for it. There was another explosion, someone screamed. The mercs had advanced enough to get up the stairs. I ducked out of cover to see Butler falling from the dorm window into the coffee table. He tried pulling himself up but was shot down. Weaver, his brother in law, was leaning over the window ledge at an odd angle… his red blood oozing down the wall.

"Damn it we are so fucked!" Monty was panicking, in my experience, that was never good. Sure enough he drew out his assault rifle… same model as one in Gavorns apartment I noticed… and ducked out of cover with a bloodthirsty roar, to empty a clip into oncoming mercs.

Before I could pull him down, he took a bullet to the chest and fell backwards. Erash crawled forwards and checked for a pulse. He glanced back at me and shook his head.

I leaned back on the counter, blinking back tears. "Damn it."

The mercs advanced forcing Erash and I to split up. I made a break for it up the stairs, Erash was backed into a corner of the kitchen.

I darted into Archangels room as Erash let out a final yell and jammed the door behind me.

I threw myself at the floor by his bed and pulled out my box, shuffling through and finally pulling out an empty OSD. I drew out my knife and carefully but quickly etched his name into the casing.

There were more gunshots outside and my heart leapt to my throat as I heard more screams and shouts. There was banging on the bedroom door and I had the horrible feeling… I was the last one left. My heart was thundering against my ribs. I felt sick. I'd tried… oh gods had I tried… not to care, not to give a shit about any of them. But somehow they'd broken me down.

I shed a tear or two over Monty and Melenis, they had tried especially hard to befriend me. Erash and Krul I respected, Sensat I'd admired and I'd enjoyed Rippers tales of his ol' merc days in the evenings. The others… Mierin, Vortash, Butler, Weaver… I'd hardly had the time to get to know them, but they greeted me in the mornings and saved me dinner at night. Somehow, somewhere along the line… I'd become one of them.

There was more thundering against the door and I silently praised Archangel for reinforcing it. Clever man… clever stupid man for falling for Sidonis's lure. But gods… if I'd just told him. If I'd told him Sidonis was going to leave, then his cover would have been blown. Archangel would have known the lure was fake.

More banging. I didn't have long left. Now wasn't the time to dwell on regrets. Now was the time to try and do something… anything… that might help my Archangel when he got back. I wanted to tell him. I wanted to tell him so much… but I didn't have time.

I slid the blank OSD into my omni-tool and bought up the program to record. I swallowed hard and looked up into the little camera.

"Hey Angel." I began. "If you're listening to this little message then…" I swallowed hard. "I'm dead. If I'm not dead… then get the hell out of my box you short fringed arse!" I smiled a little then tried to steady my thinking enough to figure out what to say. I glanced at the door. "I don't have a lot of time. I jammed the door pretty good, but they're trying to get in. The others are dead. I tried to help them… but…" I shook my head. "I guess then… this is my last chance to tell you anything you ought to know… so… first off, it was Sid… I dunno if you know that, but he totally sold us out. The fucking coward… I'm sorry though, it's my fault." My last conversation with him flashed through my mind. I should have told Garrus. I should have warned him then… That darkness I saw in his eyes.

Turians always were stupidly possessive people. I scratched at the bite on the back of my neck almost without realising it. Suddenly I wasn't angry with him anymore. Suddenly what he'd done was the most romantic thing in the world and I loved it. I was just sorry it wouldn't have time to scar. At least I'd die his woman. "I told him something… bout us." I said to the camera. "Made him mad I think. Anyway, it was him. I don't care what you do to him, I know if you get this message, or if you figure it out you'll go after him. Kill him, or let him live with the guilt. I know he'll feel it." There was a sparking at the door and the tell tale sounds of expert hackers. Shit. Adrenaline was coursing through me now. "They're coming… Oh Gods!" I faced the camera again.

"Ok… I was the one who hid your boots last week… you know… shits and giggles, and I'm the one that broke your first visor... I sat on it…hell though… you left it on the bed for pete's sake…" I shook my head. "And it was me that got that special edition rifle for you. Pulled a lot of strings and called in a lot of favours for that. I didn't want to make a scene though… so I just left it on your desk. For the record, I'm glad you liked it. I only got it for you cause you fucking deserved it. All the cash and effort you put into keeping us safe…But you never take anything for you, do you Garrus… Not guns anyways." I went back to scratching at his bite on the back of my neck. There was more clicking at the door, a shower of sparks as the lock began to give in.

"They're nearly through… I got maybe a minute… so I don't know why I'm dawdling… there is something else, something I want to tell you before I get to leave this shitty existence." I swallowed hard, pushing all my fear and doubts as far down as I could. I had to tell him… I had to let him know what he meant to me.

"I don't trust. I never trusted anyone, so I guess that's why I'm not mad about Sid… I expected a knife in the back from everyone…" I paused, taking a hard deep breath. "Then you waltzed into my life like you fucking owned it… and god Garrus… when you killed Daniel, I just… I trusted you. There was no one in this goddamned galaxy I trusted except you… and if you 'ever' blame yourself for this I swear my spirit will haunt you till you're dead! For fuck sake just let it go!" I closed my eyes, letting a tear roll down my cheek as I thought of him, of how wonderful he felt and smelled. All those exotic lines and textures… the subtle tones of his voice, the morality, the lust for justice and vengeance. The beautiful feeling of his skin on mine… and the piercing gaze of his eyes as he made love to me just the night before.

Gods I loved him. I cursed myself a fool for only realising it now… for wasting so much time trying to run from him. I opened my eyes and looked back at the little camera, no longer paying any attention to the screeching clunking sounds of the door. "Garrus Vakarian… if there was anyone in this universe, that I could have said I loved… it was you." I took a deep, steadying breath. "I'm not afraid to die… I'm just afraid of leaving you behind." I glanced to the door. "Just… take care of yourself alright? I couldn't bear it if my death destroyed the man you are. Is it vain of me to think that it might?" I shrugged looking at him a final time. "I hope it is and I'm wrong. Good luck out there… Archangel…I love you."

The recording program stopped the filming as the disk ran out of space. I wasn't sure how much of that last sentence he'd see. I hoped it was enough. I pulled the disk out as the door slowly began to open, clunking rebelliously when it was only an inch or two open.

I jammed the disk into its case and slung it back in the box before shoving the whole thing back under the bed.

The door opened the final way and I pulled out my gun and shot at the first things that walked into the room. I unloaded all my bullets, then pulled out my knife and threw flaming spheres of energy at them. The sheer number that came through though… I knew it wouldn't last.

I took a bullet to the leg first and screamed in pain. I fell to my knees but threw my flame at oncomers nonetheless. A turian blue sun approached me and I bared my teeth and snarled as I pushed my weight onto my legs a final time to lash out with my knife and dug it deep into his abdomen where his chest armour didn't quite cover his waist.

I was shot again, this time in the shoulder. I roared in anger and threw more fire at my attackers. Another shot… then another. Finally… one bullet it seemed had my name on it. It struck my chest… right between my breasts.

I fell to my knees and the merc that shot me took off his helmet. Tarak. He advanced forwards even as my head began to swim and took my chin in his hands. "Say you'll help me bring Archangel to his grave and I'll give you this medigel…" He waved the medicine in my face. I scowled up at him and spat in his face.

"Go to hell Tarak and take your bullshit with you. I hope Archangel gets you good."

He slapped me to the ground and shot me again. "Clear out boys. He'll be back soon, we'll be ready for him."

He and his men left the base. I heard them go… laughing as they went.

Tears welled in my eyes and I watched the ceiling. I couldn't die yet…not yet. The light above me flickered almost friendly… like a star. My mind was clouding over… but I didn't want to die. Not yet. I prayed to whatever deity might listen to please… please let me see him just one last time! Let me see his face, hear his voice and feel his skin… just once more.

"Twinkle twinkle… little star…" I murmured, trying anything to keep myself awake. "How I wonder… where you are…" I coughed. "Twinkle twinkle… little star…" I heard the sound of the door being forced open and I rolled my head to the side to see the man himself rushing to my side. "There you are…" He didn't say anything. I don't think he could've if he tried in that moment. He gathered me up in his arms and pulled me against his chest. I rested a bloody hand on his armour. "It was Sidonis…" I choked out. "He must've…" More choking… my mouth was full of blood. I could taste it. "Must've…"

"He sold us out." My angel growled.

I nodded, then, frantically, I tried to grasp at his armour. "Did anyone else… are they…"

"No." He said, his voice breaking a little. "They're all dead."

I felt my heart break. There was no other way to describe the pain there as all of their faces flashed through my minds eye. "Bastard." I murmured when the mini montage came to Sidonis.

"Don't worry Maggie, I'll get him back for this… if it's the last thing I do!" He promised, his voice full of fury and conviction. He meant every word.

"I trust you Archangel." I told him. I tried to smile a little. "Best make sure these idiots find their way to heaven huh."

I saw his mandibles quiver in the smallest of turian smiles. "What are you talking about." He joked back. "You gonna pack it in over a couple of flesh wounds? Slap some medigel on there you'll be good as new."

I managed to raise my hand to his face, to stroke his markings like I used too. "Not this time Angel… I'm sorry."

He shook his head wildly, tears began to fall from his own blue eyes. Honestly, I hadn't known turians could cry. You learn something new every day. "For what? You didn't do this!"

My breath was getting harder to draw, I felt so… incredibly tired. But I couldn't think of anywhere I'd rather be. "No…" I groaned out, choking on my own blood again. "I'm sorry I didn't say sooner…" I choked violently, the blood coating my throat… my lungs… I couldn't feel anything but the blood… not even his arms. I was dizzy… floating almost. I focused on his face, memorizing every single beloved detail as the world around him blurred.

"Maggie?" I heard him call to me… Gods his voice was beautiful. "Maggie!"

**FIN**


	11. Just so you know

**FAO My loyal readers! **

**So after successfully completing 'Call me Maggie' I had a couple of my readers challenging me to write an alternate ending fic where Maggie survives the crap on Omega and somehow gets reunited with Garrus later on, thus, integrating her with the main game plotline and characters. (Apparently Maggie is just that cool of an OC ^^ - Thanks guys I'm flattered!) I admit, I like Maggie too much to not try this challenge. ^^ So basically this is just a quick note to let all my readers know that I have done just that and have released a new fanfic called 'Choices' that continues on from Call me Maggie. **

**I'm also hoping to use this new fanfic as a kind of prequel to a Thane X Shepard story I have brewing in my head… so yeah… so much for my not being a fanfic writer huh XD**


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